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Bell Phillips Architects has completed six eco-homes in Newham, east London.

The scheme, on Prince Regent Lane, is the first affordable housing development commissioned by the local council in more than 20 years.

The homes have been built on the site of a former public house, the Nottingham Arms, which was gutted by a fire in the late 1990s and remained derelict until it was taken over by the council.

The council tasked BPA with designing homes to Level 5 under the Code for Sustainable Homes.

In all, four houses have been built along with a three-bedroom maisonette and a two-bedroom flat. Blue engineering brick gives the building a metallic finish, while the balconies are coated in gold-anodised copper designed to mimic the signage of the former pub.

The flat roof is a planted sedum blanket with photovoltaic panels, which also provide the terraces with shading, while water usage is kept to a minimum through low-volume taps. A grey-water system stores wastewater from washing to flushing toilets.

Other initiatives to ensure the homes reached Code Level 5 include composting, smart meters and cycle storage.