Lakshmi Mittal, who was listed as Britain’s richest man in 2010, is eyeing a home in London’s countryside. The steel magnate with a fortune of £22 billion already has three mansions in the “Billionaires’ Row” in the Kensington Palace Gardens. But the call of the lush green countryside has prodded the billionaire to buy a 340-acre estate in Surrey for the somewhat modest sum of £5.25 million.
However, Britain’s richest man is not content merely by this acquisition. He is planning to replace the 1950s building that stands on the grounds and create a new home that will be entirely eco-friendly and self-sufficient. To ensure this, Mittal has hired architecture firm Pringle Richards Sharratt.
Mittal’s green plans for the Surrey estate includes growing plenty of trees, enough to produce 100 tonnes of wood per annum to fuel the boilers on the Alderbrook Park estate. Solar panels will be fitted on to the roofs while steel tubes will be constructed underground to carry natural fresh air from the woods into the mansion. Sewage and wastewater will pass through an anerobic digester first, then through a reed bed to minimise pollution. Also, there are plans to build two internal courtyards around which the living areas will be set. The house will have ten bedrooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a fitness centre, and even an underground art gallery.
Getting permission for his green endeavours should not be a problem, though activists might oppose the heavy construction out of concern for the fate of badger setts that inhabit the estate. The developers may have to demonstrate that the animals will not be harmed.
Mittal is not the only Britain resident to go all green, however. Not too long ago, Prince Charles had made similar changes on his Gloucester estate.
Via: The Telegraph
