Future Transport meets Future Housing: BRE Innovation Park pit stop on Bridgestone Eco Rally

Press release: 

Future Transport meets future housing at BRE Innovation Park

BRE will play a major role in the 2011 Bridgestone Eco-Rally as a sponsoring partner and main convoy pit stop for the annual sustainable transport celebration.

The Bridgestone Eco-Rally features a range of famous faces driving current and future low emission vehicles between iconic locations. The BRE Innovation Park has been selected by event organisers Revolve as this year's pit-stop to provide a ‘high-tech eco-residential backdrop' to compliment the theme of future sustainable living.

Mike Whelan, Creative Director of Revolve explains: "The BRE Innovation Park demonstrates the world's most sustainable housing so it is the perfect backdrop for our mobile motor-show of the world's best green transport options. Just like the vehicles on display, the park features something to suit everyone's taste from the traditional ‘Natural House' to the ultra modern, factory-manufactured Cub House.

"The homes share many attributes with modern vehicle design. Some are modular and are built in factories using mostly recycled or recyclable materials. They can be clad in lightweight or energy-generating materials meaning running costs will be low and they can even be used to recharge electric cars or produce hydrogen fuel on site."

Guy Hammersley, Chief Executive of BRE Ventures said: "We are delighted to be supporting this year's Eco-Rally. Sustainability affects every aspect of our lives and to make a real difference, we must work in a joined-up and holistic way. Transport and the built environment are inexorably linked and this is a great opportunity to showcase leading-edge innovations from both sectors side by side."

A plethora of green transport services and vehicles of all shapes and sizes from sports cars to hybrid buses will take in a tour of the Innovation Park and get a first look at the new Natural House built by the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment. Constructed from natural materials with a low embodied energy, the Natural House is part of the latest development phase of the Park which showcases a range of sustainable homes and buildings that demonstrate innovative approaches to low impact design and construction.

The Bridgestone Eco-Rally showcases future innovations but also demonstrates mass-produced, ordinary cars which are highly energy-efficient.

This year's rally takes place on Sunday 31 July, leaving from the heart of Oxford and culminating with a free exhibition on The Mall between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square.

The 2011 Bridgestone Eco-Rally event is in collaboration with Start - a national initiative by The Prince's Charities Foundation to promote and celebrate sustainable living and to show what a more energy efficient, cleaner and healthier future could look like. BRE and the Bridgestone Eco-Rally proves that this kind of lifestyle is attainable now.

BRE will also be hosting an electric vehicles conference on 27^th September Electric Vehicles And Their Integration In The Built Environment will be the first event of its kind that brings together professionals from the built environment and the automotive sectors to consider the impacts of EVs.

http://www.eco-rally.org/

http://www.startuk.org/

For Eco-Rally images, visit http://tinyurl.com/3x2rz4a

Please note that the BRE pitstop is a 'closed' event – the site will only be accessible to invited guests and the media.