Grounded Passivhaus
This project is for a five bed replacement dwelling. The brief has two parts:
A house that provides a deep connection to the site through grounded living. Grounded living is a lifestyle focused on staying connected to the present moment, nature, and personal authenticity. It emphasises mindfulness, emotional stability, and balance, fostering inner peace. By aligning actions with values, nurturing self-awareness, and building meaningful relationships, grounded living promotes well-being and resilience in daily life.
Exemplary sustainable design principles. Focused on achieving Passivhaus certification, the proposal incorporates a compact form optimised for energy efficiency and resilience to climate change. The house is low maintenance and easy to manage; relieving the client of stress and allowing them to focus on their personal priorities.
Materials are selected for their sustainability and lifecycle impact: locally sourced Cotswold stone, carbon-sequestering larch cladding, and a recyclable metal standing seam roof. Solar panels with on-site battery storage will generate and manage energy needs, further enhancing the building's green credentials.
To respect the ecological richness of the site, the development minimises disruption to surrounding biodiversity. No trees are lost through the scheme. The landscaping design includes native planting, and features like bat boxes and insect towers to promote habitat diversity.
To deliver speed and quality, the whole house is going to be pre-fabricated and delivered as a flat-pack to the site. This means we have hardly any waste on site. It also results in far fewer material deliveries to site; reducing the impact of the works on neighbours. As access to the site is limited, we are working closely with our factory team to ensure that we do not need to use a crane and that the house structure is sized to suit the access lane.
The design addresses long-term adaptability, with provisions for evolving family needs and accessibility as the occupants age. Lifetime home principles are integrated, including wider corridors, flush thresholds, and adaptable ground-floor spaces.
Overall, this project integrates environmental stewardship with thoughtful, practical design, setting a benchmark for sustainable residential architecture in harmony with its natural and community context.
