by Charlie Peverett on 13.06.07 
Loading ...A prototype home for those wanting to reduce - well, pretty much exterminate - their carbon footprint has just gone on show in Watford. And it doesn’t look bad.
The Lighthouse has everything you’d expect from an eco-house, and some stuff you wouldn’t. The boiler runs on biomass, which means that any CO2 emissions should be balanced by the amount the fuel absorbed when it was grown. You can put some household waste in too.
Whatever climate change has in store for us, the Lighthouse seems to have its bases covered. There’s a ‘wind catcher’ sticking out of the roof, providing natural ventilation - great for hotter summers. On the other hand if the Gulf Stream switches off and we all freeze, the super-efficient insulation should come in handy.
Power and hot water come from the solar panels on the roof, which sweeps down in a curve to form one wall of the building. There are also water-saving features throughout, which should help water the garden (positioned to make the most of the sun, of course).
BedZED, the UK’s most famous eco-development to date, is bit of a ‘Marmite’ building - you either love it or hate it. It will be interesting to see whether the Lighthouse, all contemporary curves and wood cladding, appeals to a wider audience.
