The concept for Migrational Habitation is to create a living strategy that encourages an eco-friendly lifestyle within a sustainable community. The community may only be able to prove its success over decades, but the right infrastructure can help it to develop.

The masterplan for this design includes no site boundaries and incorporates a pedestrian zone defined by live-work homes. The space around homes becomes part of the living space, where neighbours can sit or children can play together.

A house is divided into several areas, each suitable for different climates and seasons, and uses. In the heat of the summer, the top ’sky’ level of the house houses the sleeping area, as fresh air can provide night-time cooling via skylights. In winter, the sky level can be reconfigured to create an area for personal hygiene. Because this level gains heat from the lower level, no supplementary heating is needed.

The lowest ’garden’ level contains the sleeping area in the winter, because this is the main heated area of the house. In warmer weather this part of the house becomes a focus for summertime outdoor activity. This level includes a conservatory to harness solar gain.

Between the ‘sky’ and ‘garden’ level is the ‘street’ level. This is the living space and the most intensively used part of the house.

The house is constructed from a range of environmentally friendly materials including timber frame, solid timber panels and such materials as reclaimed brick and locally sourced stones. The specification also includes lime render, a durable and low maintenance choice. For the roof, shingles or thatch could be used.

Each house has an underground energy store, but the precise energy source would be dictated by the location of the site. A dedicated sub-level alley serves all the houses with water and power as well as providing a route for collection of any recyclable material, such as grey water for purification, glass, plastics, and sewerage.

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