HARP, Southend’s leading homelessness charity, has been shortlisted in two categories at the prestigious Unlock Zero Net Awards for their Bluebird development.
Bluebird, HARP’s brand new 50 bed development in the heart of Southend-on-Sea, is a finalist for the Innovation of the Year and Building/Development of the Year.
Bluebird comprises of a renovated terrace of three properties fronting Southchurch Avenue, and a new build Passivhaus Certified gas-free mews-style housing development to the rear of the site.
Bluebird is the realisation of a long-term collaborative project to provide high-quality, affordable accommodation for people recovering from homelessness in Southend-on-Sea, with HARP’s vision successfully combined with the technical expertise of SKArchitects and high-quality building work and project management from A.W. Hardy Building Contractors.
HARP’s passion for delivering an environmentally friendly building was key to the core values of the project, and achieving Passivhaus Certification means the property’s carbon footprint will remain low throughout its lifespan.
Nicky Bowling, HARP’s Director of Property Development, said: “Being shortlisted for these prestigious awards is fantastic recognition for this amazing project. It was always key focus to deliver a sustainable, low carbon development, and we are delighted to be recognised for this ambition in two categories at the Unlock Net Zero Awards. Bluebird is now home to 50 residents, and most importantly of all, they are settling well and making meaningful steps on the journey away from rough sleeping towards independent living”.
Andrew Pujol, HARP Team Manager overseeing Bluebird, said: “We’re really proud to be able to offer such high-quality accommodation to people to use as a foundation to recover from homelessness. All of the residents have given very positive feedback, with many of them telling us that this is the nicest place they’ve ever lived. Our team are working hard to help put the building blocks in place for a successful stay with us, whilst we work alongside our clients to build the skills needed to successfully move on from HARP
