The client’s came to us looking for a new build low-energy home, designed to meet the Passivhaus Standard, to be located adjacent to their agricultural barns, where one of the clients works.

The new house is located in a predominantly agricultural area, scattered with traditional farm houses and their associated out-buildings. The design of this house is unashamedly contemporary; by taking cues from the farm vernacular in terms of detailing, and following the familiar silhouette of a house, the building sits comfortably within the surrounding extensive landscape.

The darker zinc cladding ‘book-ends’ the lighter timber clad central portion, creating a tension between the expansion of the surrounding flat landscape, stretching away to the distant horizon, and the feelings of comfort and retreat desired within the house. The glazing is more expansive in the central area and reflects the nature of this space as the heart of the home.

This project gained Planning Permission in 2020.