A roomy, airy design with two communal family rooms on the ground and first floor, the latter with a lofty double-height ceiling and an internal balcony. Externally the design uses extensive timber cladding, both as a “carbon store” and a visual reminder that this house – and the people within – use the environment’s resources responsibly.

Design

Based on a completed zero carbon house by the practice, the scheme is carefully detailed and constructed to minimise carbon footprints and maximise insulation values. By filling the frame’s prefabricated timber cassettes with newspaper insulation, the walls and roof would achieve a U-value of 0.1. A system of ducts allows the heat recovery system to re-circulate heat energy rising to the top of the stairwell to the second floor bedrooms. The 37.5 degree slope of the roof maximises exposure to the sun throughout the year, and therefore the energy generated by the photovolatic panels and solar thermal tubes.

Technical

A servicing zone for hot water storage and heat recovery equipment site above the 2nd floor shower room
Space heating provided by ground source heat pump where fluid passes through a 9m long coil in back garden
Danish Vrogum window frames using a combination of timber, cork and aluminium to achieve an extremely low U value – 0.6

Innovations

Ground floor garage could be easily converted to habitable space thanks to door frames that could hold either timber shutters or glazed French doors.

© British Homes Awards |  Site design: LW design