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The design of the ground breaking three bedroom family home meets the highest level six of the Government's Code for Sustainable Homes and will emit zero carbon on average over the course of a year.

The Barratt Green House, designed by architects Gaunt Francis, has been built on the BRE (Building Research Establishment) Innovation Park at Watford. It will be the subject of rigorous scientific testing over a two year period to assess every aspect of the design, construction and materials.

Barratt plans to take the most successful aspects of the design and apply them to homes it builds in future.

Inspiration for the award-winning design has been drawn from contemporary and historical housing in the UK and Europe. The materials used in the structure and high-performance insulation will help keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer. Its flexible design can be adapted through its life to suit changing family needs or provide alternative uses such as B&B or student rooms.

Innovative eco-friendly features include:

• Aircrete concrete wall panels and pre-cast concrete floor slabs – heavyweight concrete construction achieves high thermal mass which mitigates peaks and troughs of temperature change within the house.
• An Air Source Heat Pump converts the energy of air from indoors or outdoors into heat supplying the internal needs of the house.
• Clothes drying is achieved at the head of the stairs using warm air rising through the house.
• Hot water is supplied by a solar hot water panel connected to the central storage unit.
• Automatic window shutters help prevent over-heating of the house during the summer.
• Solar PhotoVoltaic panels on the south-facing roof and the adjacent building simulates a district power supply (it is more efficient to power 20 homes than one).
• A rainwater harvesting system provides water to flush toilets.

Thanks to these features, the house will have no need of standard household appliances such as tumble driers.

Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP, Minister for Housing, said:
"Our goal is to build not just more homes, but better homes. That's why all new homes must be zero carbon from 2016, with progressively tough standards being introduced over the coming years. This is the most ambitious programme anywhere in the world. And the UK housebuilding industry is at the forefront - not only signing up to the target but coming up with the innovation that will make this happen.

"That's why I am delighted to see what Barratt have achieved with this project – one of the first low carbon projects in the country. Not only does this house showcase what is already technologically possible, it shows that greener living doesn't have to mean expensive design. I hope other builders continue to follow their example, and I look forward to a continuing strong partnership as we work together towards 2016."

Mark Clare, CEO of Barratt Developments PLC, said:
"Building this home has provided us with invaluable insights into how zero carbon homes can be constructed and is giving us the opportunity to evaluate specific materials and technologies for future developments.

"The most exciting aspect is that this is not designed as a one off: we will take what works and apply it to housebuilding across the country.

"The challenge now is to ensure that zero carbon is genuinely affordable and not just available to those who can afford it. I believe that the Barratt Green House is one step towards realising that goal."

The award-winning design, which was voted for by more than 22,000 Mail on Sunday readers in the British Homes Awards, has undergone some modifications in an extensive collaboration led by the National Centre for Excellence in Housing (National Centre).

It forms an integral part of the research programme which the Government has asked the National Centre to co-ordinate to help the house building industry achieve zero carbon in all new starts by 2016.

Nick Raynsford MP, Chairman of the National Centre, said:
"The recently published Callcutt Review advocated that the home building industry work in partnership with key stakeholders in order to address the challenge of all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016. Callcutt recommended that they should collaborate and through fact based research and development deliver exemplars of best practice. The Barratt Green House sets the standards that others must now match."

Barratt has already been selected to build the first large-scale zero carbon community in the country. It is Preferred Developer for the former Hanham Hall Hospital site near Bristol, the first of the English Partnerships' Carbon Challenges where all 200 units will meet level six of the Code for Sustainable Homes. The homes will be completed in 2011 and at least a third will be affordable.