Infrastructure work to develop the new BRE Scotland Innovation Park has begun, at a former steelworks site at Ravenscraig, Lanarkshire.

The 2 acre park will incorporate four full scale demonstrator houses and a visitor centre. The park is expected to channel over £2m of new technology investment.

The demonstrator houses will showcase the homes of the future, tackling issues of sustainable construction, affordability, energy efficiency, the use of recycled materials and carbon emissions.

BRE Scotland is inviting Scottish companies to submit proposals for demonstrator houses, with a view to constructing the house to the zero carbon targets that will be standard in 2016.

BRE received £500,000 funding for the project from North Lanarkshire Council, which will enable BRE to prepare the site for the first phase of works, including new roads, a car park, and the implantation of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS).

Rufus Logan, director of BRE Scotland, said: "From James Watt to John Logie Baird, Scotland has for centuries been synonymous with innovation. We want to tap into this rich history and challenge companies working within the sector to develop new solutions to the defining issues of our time - the need for radical CO₂ reduction and climate change mitigation. We also want to highlight the innovative work already going on in Scottish construction."

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