Tenants use LMH.tv to document eco-hostel development

Published by Jean Clarke for Liverpool Mutual Homes in Housing and also in Environment

Tenants are using their housing association’s web television channel to document the redevelopment of a 19^th century convent into the UK’s first eco-friendly homeless hostel.

Videos created by Liverpool Mutual Homes’ (LMH) tenant television project LMH TV will be uploaded to LMH.tv so the wider community can enjoy their landlord’s transformation of Belvidere Road Family Centre into a modern and sustainable centre for people seeking temporary emergency respite.

It also provides them with the opportunity to learn about film-making by taking part in casting, editing, directing and learning how to use equipment.

Tenants will look at wider community aspects of the centre with LMH.tv featuring personal accounts from people who will or have benefited from hostels and the important role they play.

Plans are in place for local schools to film their work leading art and landscaping projects as part of the redevelopment.

Liverpool City Council Cabinet Members Cllrs Ann O'Byrne, Roz Gladden and Tim Moore will also be making short videos, giving their thoughts regarding the housing, social care and environmental aspects of the project respectively. 

The first video is now being aired on LMH.tv and features behind the scenes footage of the scheme, an introduction to the work, and interviews with project managers and architects.

To further increase awareness and tenant involvement, LMH has created a specialist LMH.tv micro-site (www.lmh.tv/belvidereroad) , a Twitter account (@belvidereroad), and a Flickr site (http://www.flickr.com/photos/liverpoolmutualhomes).

LMH Chief Executive, Steve Coffey, said: “LMH.tv and Belvidere Road Family Centre are two very important projects for us and in many ways they encapsulate the whole ethos of our organisation.

“LMH.tv empowers and engages tenants to get involved more in their community and learn new skills, while the Belvidere Road Family Centre project addresses homeless issues, helps create safer communities and regenerates properties using the greenest techniques and products available.

“It is important to keep people informed of progress in big development projects like this and our integrated use of social media allows residents to see what is happening and interact with us and others in the community.”

As well as the regeneration of the existing building, a new side wing and a rear extension housing four apartments will be constructed with solar panels.  A green living sedum roof will be installed to compliment the surrounding Princes Park conservation area.

The remodelled respite facility will be sub-divided with sliding walls accommodating very large families of up to 12 people by combining smaller units or alternatively shrunk for couples, depending on demand.

Energy efficient heating products are at the heart of the scheme with photovoltaic solar cells being fixed to the roof to supply electricity, and flat-plate solar collectors and heat pumps converting hot air into energy and providing hot water.

Individual temperature control systems are being fitted to each room, complemented by a central thermal store taking energy from heat pumps, gas boilers and solar systems and distributed throughout the accommodation.

A rainwater harvesting facility has been designed especially for the hostel and operates by using a collector on the main roof area to provide approximately 60 per cent of communal water used.

An additional grey water recycling system is also being installed to recycle bath, shower and laundry water for toilet flushing to help reduce water use.

A large glazed panel will also play a crucial part in the development, providing natural light into the building with a mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) system allowing cool air to be converted into heat and distributed around the communal areas.

The revamp will also feature family lounges, a library, offices, laundry, nursery / crèche facilities, meeting and training rooms, a staff sleeping room, and areas for storing large possessions which cannot be accommodated in the living units.

The transformation continues externally too with the original façade being reinstated to its former glory, and the plans are fully compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act, with all rooms, floors and functions accessible by wheelchairs.

Ends

Video:

The Belvidere Road Family Centre can be viewed here: http://www.lmh.tv/video/MU1AUD38NSSX/Belvidere-Road-Project-Trailer

Photograph:

An artist’s impression of how the hostel will look once completed.