They may not have a coat of arms on the wall but Prince Charles gave his royal stamp of approval to the “eco” houses he visited on Wednesday.The Prince was taken round one of the three 'eco' houses whilst on a royal visit to Prince’s Crescent at the Ideal Home Show at Earl’s Court. The houses have been commissioned by The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, one of the charities founded by his royal highness.Charles seemed to enjoy his afternoon at the Ideal Home show smiling broadly as he spoke to members of the public and asked them their opinion about the homes on display.
Charles visits an 'Eco' home built by the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment
The scheme’s main aim is to provide affordable eco-friendly housing in London at a time in which the capital “faces acute housing shortages of both quality and quantity”. Charles has often spoken about the importance of sustainable living and says that these news houses promote a green lifestyle without turning to gadgets of hi-tech materials. "As our planet becomes overwhelmingly urban, and resources become scarcer, it will no longer be enough to just add gadgets on here and put bolt-ons there. We need to rethink the way we plan our homes, shops, schools and their relationship to one another."
© Photo: Getty ImagesDesigners of the state-of-the-art houses claim that inhabitants won’t ever need central heating, instead solely relying on a single wooden stove to provide enough heat for the house. As well as insulation in the walls and ceiling the home is built with solid clay blocks to trap pockets of air, which will warm the house in winter and cool it in summerIn addition to supporting and helping design these innovative houses, the heir to the throne has already developed his own eco-village in Dorset, which was designed to encourage walking and cycling and reduce the use of cars.
