We're organising a tour of eco houses featured in open house weekend
The Cycle Eco House Tour takes place on Sunday 21st September 2008 starting at 9.45am from Highbury Fields ending with the London Freewheel. Organised by Tom Hitchman and John Ackers (020 7690 7263).
Join
us for a cycle tour of the latest and greatest eco design elements of
domestic living in London both renovation and new build, prototypes for
the future and elements that can be included in the current housing
stock, here are a few of the things you will see on the day:
- passive solar design
- internal insulation on solid walled Victorian house
- solar thermal (heating hot water)
- solar photovoltaic (producing electricity)
- draughtproofing on Victorian sash windows
- air heat exchangers
- lime render
- timber construction
- green roof
- prototype green urban terraced housing
- solar control façade
- evergreen shading
- highly insulated 'thin wall'
- domestic wind turbine
- heating using wood fuel
- sedum roof
- rain harvesting
- prefabricated wooden eco houses
Starting in leafy Highbury Fields, the ride will cover 6 houses open on the day, as part of Open House, travelling as far as possible on quiet back roads, canals and through parks. The total distance will be around 10 miles finishing at Tower Bridge.
For those who want to celebrate the day's Freewheel event, where roads from Tower Bridge to Hyde Park are going to be closed to traffic then you can jump off at Tower Bridge to join the other playmates on scooters, bikes and skateboards.
The
route starts from Islington, visits 3 eco houses in Camden, 1 eco house in Shoreditch and 1 eco house in Camberwell [google map]. The ride finally returns to Tower Bridge to join the festivities of the
freewheel.
How to get there:
Meet up at the cafe next to the tennis courts at Highbury Fields N5 at 9:45am, for 10am roll off (not 9am as previously stated).
We will discover numbers and if necessary split into smaller groups for the rides.
The
ride is planned to finish at Tower Bridge for 4pm to do the traffic
free ride to Hyde Park. The two last houses are south of the river. So
anybody who wants to jump off then or at any other time is welcome to do so. You can also join anywhere along the route as long as the group is not too large.
Please let us know if you will be coming by sending an email to tomhitchman@yahoo.com and saying:
- how many in your party
- If we need to split into groups would you be willing to lead and navigate or backmark a group
The map below shows the start and the location of the houses. We'll try to add the route next week.