Flower Power - Gary Neville's surprising eco-friendly mansion

Footballers are not particuarly well known for their eco-consience.  Certainly all that boozing, car-crashing and general scandal making (and occasionally a well-paid kick-about) does not seem leave much time for green issues. Happily news has just reached us that Manchester United star Gary Neville has had planning permission granted for a state-of-the-art eco mansion, just outside of Bolton.

 

The designers, Make Architects have worked closely with Neville to design this four-bedroom, renewable enegry single story house, and have taken into account Nevilles desire to be green.

Geothermic heating, photovoltaic cells and a wind turbine assure that this house produces more power than it uses, but all this aside it is a great piece of architecture.  It has been designed to fit neatly into the beautiful rolling foothill landscape of the Pennines.  The house is largely underground meaning that it is hardly noticeable on the skyline and its unique flower-petal shape made of local stone show a modern design with clear sympathies to the location.

Many have applauded Nevilles eco-conscience and the arcitects stunning design comparing it to a Neolithic village such as Skara Brae whilst the inevitable detractors (and most of the media) have labelled it Tellytubby Land.

What strikes me is that this is a mansion built by a very wealthy person that has done things right for a
change.  Neville had no requirement to build an eco-friendly house.  If he wanted to he could have constructed something like the unfinished monstrocity that is Hamilton Palace but he has gone out of his way to make something that is already being labelled 'a house for the future'.

It seems that Nevilles desire to be eco-friendly is more tha just posturing, he is reported to currently be in talks with a green-energy provider to host a envrionmentally friendly testimonal match when he bows out of Old Trafford.