The first 100 affordable, Passivhaus-certified homes at Crescent Salford have welcomed residents; one for each year since Salford was granted city status.
Willohaus, on Peru Street, is the first phase of housing to complete in Adelphi Village, part of the £2.5bn, 240-acre Crescent Salford masterplan being delivered by Salford City Council, the University of Salford and ECF – a partnership between Homes England, L&G and Muse.
Salix Homes is the housing partner for the scheme and owns and manages the new homes.
Paul Dennett, Salford’s city mayor, said: “As Salford marks 100 years of city status, the completion of Willohaus is a great example of the kind of future we are building in Salford – one that puts people, opportunity, and sustainability at its heart. These high-quality, energy-efficient homes will not only help residents reduce their living costs but also support healthier, more sustainable lifestyles.
“This milestone reflects the strength of our partnership with ECF and the University of Salford, and our shared commitment to delivering genuinely affordable homes as part of the wider Crescent Salford vision. We are proud to be creating inclusive neighbourhoods where people from all backgrounds can put down roots and thrive for generations to come.”
The development comprises one- and two-bedroom apartments built to Passivhaus standards, offering residents significantly reduced energy bills alongside improved comfort through high-performance heating and ventilation systems. The approach is independently tested, verified and certified by the Passivhaus Institute.
The scheme includes four wheelchair-accessible apartments on the ground floor, storage for 89 bicycles and a small number of accessible parking spaces. Tenure is split between 30 apartments for social rent and 70 for affordable rent.
Willohaus has been awarded an EPC A rating for 34 apartments and EPC B for the remaining 66, aligning with the government’s target for all rented homes to reach a minimum EPC C rating by 2030.
Designed by Buttress Architects and built by Eric Wright Construction, Willohaus is the second Passivhaus scheme delivered by ECF and Salix Homes, following Greenhaus on Chapel Street, which completed in 2024. At the time, this was the largest Passivhaus affordable housing scheme in the North West.
Funding for Willohaus was secured by Salix Homes from Homes England and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, alongside its own investment.
Following completion of Willohaus, work has begun on 42 townhouses and 185 apartments at Farmer Norton, with a further 263 homes approved as Adelphi Village continues to take shape. The wider Crescent Salford masterplan is expected to deliver more than 3,000 homes in total.
The first residents moved in during June, with Salix Homes providing support to help them understand the Passivhaus features in their new homes.
First of many
Simon Hourihan, project director at ECF, said: “As we celebrate 100 years since Salford achieved city status, it’s only fitting that, as a partnership, we deliver 100 new, highly sustainable, high-quality homes.
“Willohaus is the first of many new residential buildings coming to Crescent Salford. Through features such as optimised air quality, these homes are designed to support physical and mental wellbeing and foster a healthier living environment.
“By combining high environmental performance with affordable rents, we are helping to make Crescent Salford a place where people from a wide variety of backgrounds can live, work, and thrive. This is a significant milestone for Crescent Salford and for our city as we strive to achieve our long-term commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth.”
Liam Turner, chief executive at Salix Homes, said: “Willohaus represents another important investment in Salford’s future, providing 100 high-quality, sustainable and affordable homes at a time when demand for housing continues to grow.
“As the city celebrates its centenary year, it feels particularly poignant that the first residents are moving into homes that have been designed not just for today, but for future generations.
“Building on the success of Greenhaus, Willohaus demonstrates how a shared vision and strong partnership working can deliver high-quality, sustainable homes at scale, creating lasting benefits for residents, communities and the city as a whole.”
John Hartnett, managing director at Eric Wright Construction, said: “We are proud to have handed over our second Passivhaus residential development, in the heart of Salford, for our long-standing client ECF.
“Delivering a Passivhaus project is more than just meeting the stringent standards, it’s about creating homes that perform better for the resident every day and our team has built on their already extensive Passivhaus knowledge to achieve outstanding results. This project demonstrates what can be achieved when sustainability, precision and collaboration are integrated from the early stages and continued throughout the construction processes.”
Main image: (Left to right) John Harnett, chief operating officer, Eric Wright Group; Simon Hoorihan, project director at ECF; Alison Haigh, associate at Buttress; Paul Dennett, Mayor of Salford; and Eric Tamanis, executive director of resources at Salix Homes
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