The single-storey contemporary home is designed in a graceful curve around a giant lime tree that dominates the site. A combination of timber and brick faced walls combined with large areas of glazing that let the sunlight flood in and every room is an individual shape with organic curves and slopes characterising the walls and ceilings.
Passivhaus Design
Downsizing does not necessarily mean exchanging style for comfort.
Mr and Mrs Young decided to build a stylish new home in the garden of their Victorian family home in order to make life easier. “It was a beautiful home with an elegant garden it was increasingly costly to run and maintain. After retirement we felt the need to plan for the future in a smaller and more efficient home.”
The single-storey contemporary home is designed in a graceful curve around a giant lime tree that dominates the site. A combination of timber and brick faced walls combined with large areas of glazing that let the sunlight flood in and every room is an individual shape with organic curves and slopes characterising the walls and ceilings.
It’s not only the aesthetic design that is 21st century: the house is certified to Passivhaus energy efficiency standards as the Youngs were keen to minimise their energy bills for the future.
Despite the ultra-modern appearance and performance, the structure of the building still relies on aircrete blocks used as part of an H+H Thin Joint System. The aircrete inner leaf of the cavity wall construction provides good thermal insulation combined with high thermal mass.
High thermal mass is the characteristic of masonry blocks that allows the block to absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night. The structure takes longer to heat up and cool down than lightweight building materials, evening out temperature variations and providing a cooler house during hot summers and helping to keep the house warm during cold snaps in the winter.
Architect Dan Higginbotham of Parsons + Whittley Architects worked with H+H to develop energy efficient design for the walls. “H+H provided us with advice on block types and their suitability for this project. Compared to a timber frame solution the H+H products allowed for a faster build process, enhanced stability and better thermal mass.”
The result is a home that takes virtually no energy to heat, which was the objective of the Youngs when they started the 28-week build. “We think that sustainability is a key issue for the country and we feel pleased that our home contributes to a sustainable programme. However, we were primarily driven by the desire to reduce our own energy consumption,” say the Youngs. “We have downsized, but we are very comfortable and content”.