This week: eco-friendly properties from a solar-powered retreat on Abaco in the Bahamas to a converted taxi works in Royston, Hertfordshire.
Waterfalls, East Coker, Somerset. This house is constructed out of locally sourced materials, including ham stone and English oak, and is designd to reach high standards of energy efficiency. 6 beds, 4 baths, 3 receps, gym, indoor pool with changing rooms, gardens, grounds, 5.2 acres. £2.5m Knight Frank 01935-812236.
The Old Taxi Works, Bassingbourn, Royston, Hertfordshire. This conversion of the workshop where the first 17 London taxis were built has eco-lime rendered interior walls and recycling irrigation tanks for watering the garden. It is accessed through an atrium with a central pool surrounded by tropical plants 3 beds, 2 baths, open-plan living area, separate office. £750,000 Carter Jonas 01223-472011.
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Villa Rafina, Attica, Greece. An environmentally friendly villa with a radiant floor heating/cooling system, high levels of insulation, smart electricity meters and rain-water collectors. The villa is surrounded by landscaped gardens that include a swimming pool, tennis court and helipad. 4 beds, 2 baths, recep, 1 acre. €1.2m Property Pass + 302 106 744 660.
Pinetrees, Worlingham, Beccles, Suffolk. A contemporary eco-house set in six acres of gardens, meadow and woodland. The property's green features include water recycling, solar panels, and an exterior clad in long-life, low-maintenance cedar. There is also an agreement in place with local beekeepers to site hives on the land. 4 beds, 4 baths, 2 receps. £695,000 Durrants 01502-712122.
Old Vineyard, King Street, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire. This contemporary property has uninterrupted views of the Cotswold countryside. Its eco-credentials include solar panels with feed-in tariffs, a green roof, solar thermal panels for domestic hot water, a ground-source heat pump, rainwater harvesting, and high levels of insulation. 4 beds, 3 baths, recep, breakfast kitchen, greenhouse, gardens, 0.5 acres. £1.35m Strutt & Parker 01285-653101.
Moonrise, Lubbers Quarters, Abaco, Bahamas. An eco-friendly retreat with 750 feet of waterfront, ten minutes by boat from Hope Town. It is powered by solar energy, with the option to connect to the power grid. 1 bed, 1 bath, open-plan living area, 5 acres. $1.425m Damianos Sotheby's International Realty +1 242 557 2929.
Byfield Lodge, Byfield, Northamptonshire. A modern house clad in Siberian larch with oak and limestone flooring. It has mechanical ventilation and heat recovery systems designed to reduce the running costs of the house. 5 beds, 5 baths, cinema, gardens, 1 acre. £1m+ Strutt & Parker 01295-273592.
Beckley Manor, Beckley, Oxford. A contemporary property built to a high ecological standard in a traditional style from limestone under a clay tile pitched roof with English oak interiors. The house has 150 solar photovoltaic panels that generate an annual income of £13,000 per year. 7 beds, 5 baths, 3 receps, study, summer room, wine cellar, indoor pool, Jacuzzi, steam room, detached barn, gardens, grounds, woodland, pasture, 34.7 acres. £5.25m Savills 01865-339700.
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