Welcome to Cube Life, where the houses share the simple, flexible geometry of the Rubik’s Cube, allowing multiple arrangements of rooms within a modular timber grid. The design incorporates enough flexibility - with set-back sections, overhangs and terraces – to make the most of any site orientation.

Design

Timber glulam beams and columns form the structural frame of the house, accommodating a range of prefabricated modules. Sliding walls can transform the ground floor space into an open-plan meeting or function space. Kitchen and bathroom “cubes” are set to the rear, grouping the necessary downpipes and serviced areas together. A glazed sun-space on the first floor provides an unusual extension to the bedrooms, as well as acting as a protective thermal buffer in the colder months. The main living space is on the third floor with a stepped-back external terrace uniting inside and outside. An external staircase leads to a flat roof and greenhouse.

Technical

A glazed roof over the rooftop terrace collects rainwater
Heat recovery system would feed warmed air into the house in winter and improve air circulation in summer
If site orientation does not allow full passive solar design, a district heating system could help achieve carbon neutrality.

Innovation

Soil excavated from the site would be used to create rammed earth walls, which help to increase the thermal mass of the house

© British Homes Awards |  Site design: LW design