A Newcastle-based architecture firm has announced plans to begin work on the construction of a number of ground-breaking eco homes within the next few months.
The government recently revealed that thousands of construction jobs will be created over the coming decade through the planned expansion of the green building industry.
And the ID Partnership (IDP) group has spent the past two-and-a-half years carrying out pan-European research into sustainable housing design solutions.
On the back of this, the company has unveiled plans to start building its first prototype eco-homes in the north-east at the start of 2010, with the properties to be designed so as not to sacrifice individual characteristics for sustainability, the Northern Echo has reported.
Nick Edgar, investment executive at NEL Capital, explained: "IDP have taken an innovative, long-term approach towards finding solutions to what will soon become a pressing need in the global housing sector, and their prototype will provide an exciting glimpse of the future of sustainable housing."
The project is being partly-funded with capital provided by several regional fund managers, as well as ongoing finance from Yorkshire Bank.
Just this week, the UK Building Council called for the introduction of a scheme which would give homeowners access to loans of up to £10,000 to enable them to make environmentally-friendly home improvements.