Citu has started on-site at ‘Stall’; a new community of 51 low carbon, high performance, low energy homes which will transform a forgotten brownfield land in the historic area of Kirkstall in Leeds, with a pioneering approach to placemaking that puts people and the climate first.

Designed and manufactured locally by Citu, the UK’s leading sustainable developer, ‘Stall’ is a further evolution of the company’s acclaimed methodology and expertise cultivated from almost 20 years of creating sustainable communities and enabling change in cities across the North of England.

Located on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, ‘Stall’ will be a new sustainable place designed to support the fabric, urban grain and context of the site, encouraging nature to flourish within an urban setting. The canal-side location includes a precious green corridor that passes Kirkstall Valley Nature Reserve and the famous Kirkstall Abbey, an easy route for cycling (13 minutes) and walking (40 minutes) straight into the heart of central Leeds. ‘Stall’ will feature 4-bed ‘Canal Houses’, 1 and 2-bed ‘Loft Apartments’ and 2-bed Gatehouse Apartments.

Citu has established a strong reputation at the forefront of placemaking, anticipating people’s needs, identifying and accelerating changes in design and construction, for the benefit of the planet. ‘Stall’ will build on Citu’s multi-award-winning treatment of previously vacant or derelict brownfield land at the Climate Innovation District to the south of Leeds city centre and Sheffield’s Kelham Island. 

Jonathan Wilson, Managing Director of Citu, said: “We’re continuing to rip up the rule books which make outdated assumptions about how to design for the ways people enjoy living. It’s a bold statement but we want to change the world and with our design team, factory and community of residents located on one site in Leeds at the Climate Innovation District, we’re constantly observing, listening, learning and evolving our designs. ‘Stall’ is an exciting extension of the principles we’ve developed on our journey to challenge the norms, enabling residents to live more sustainably, in healthy and inspiring places that they can call home.”

The name ‘Stall’ is a nod to the origins of Kirkstall which is formed from ‘stall’ meaning ‘place’ and ‘Kirk’ the historic word for ‘church’ – a reference to the area’s 800-year-old Kirkstall Abbey, one of the most complete examples of a medieval Cistercian abbey in Britain, now the stunning architectural centrepiece of a beautiful public park.

The high-performance homes will be built using passive house standards, combining bold architecture with flexible designs, exceptional spaces and sustainable, low carbon materials. Customers are encouraged to see their homes in the design and manufacturing stages, to learn about the materials and processes involved at CITU’s offices, The Place, in Leeds.  Citu’s timber-framed housing system is manufactured by the developer in its onsite factory in the city. This vastly reduces the carbon footprint in the construction process and provides the developer with certainty in quality and operational energy performance resulting in significantly lower operational costs.

Post-pandemic, Citu’s approach to creating places that support health and wellbeing is attracting a new generation of homeowners unwilling to compromise on the need for ‘live/work balance.’

Adds Jonathan: “How people live changed hugely over the pandemic and the way we use our homes is changing too. We want room to work, study, play, create and relax, almost as much as we need space to sleep and cook. Citu homes make it easy for residents to choose low-carbon living and at ‘Stall’ residents can step out of the front door and be amongst the trees and beside the water.”

“Set apart from – and at the heart of – city living, these homes are designed to capture the surrounding natural views, alongside striking architectural details such as decks cantilevering over the canal. I urge anyone looking for a home with purpose that gives equal priority to people, nature and modern, high-performance, to come and see what we’re creating with ‘Stall’, a sustainable place for long-term living in one of Leeds’s most significant heritage settings” 

Work on the scheme has now begun with the first homes ready to move into early 2023. Demand for Citu’s homes is already high and the 51 properties at ‘Stall’ will be limited to those who register for further details, on a first come first served basis. Prices and plans for the homes will soon be revealed and the first homes will be available to buy off plan in the winter. To register your interest go to https://citu.co.uk/citu-live/coming-soon-to-kirkstall

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