Creating a Contemporary New Build with Sustainability at its Heart

With lockdown restrictions easing, we were delighted to go back and photograph Ash House, a finalist in the British Homes Awards Large House of the Year 2020.  This time we took a good look at some of the detail design features that makes this green belt home so sustainable.

HollandGreen worked closely with the Local Conservation Board to create a design that sits well within the local vernacular.

To this end, Linear Danish brick and Red Cedar Wood cladding were used across the external facades to reflect the individual, handcrafted nature typical of the local area, while still ensuring a warm and beautifully modern aesthetic.

Above, the traditional slate roof houses a number of key sustainable elements. Solar PV panels supply hot water while simultaneously powering an electric vehicle charging station, vastly reducing reliance on conventional energy sources.

Each section of roof is bordered by concealed channels, a bespoke feat of engineering that makes for a highly minimal and innovative drainage solution. In the eaves, a replacement bat habitat actively promotes the conservation of local wildlife.

Sustainability continues to play a key role in the heating of the building. Passive heat loss through the outer envelope is greatly reduced by specifying materials that achieve exceptionally low Air Permeability and U values.

A Heat Recovery System then works in tandem with the Mechanical Ventilation to retain heat during the winter and provide Comfort Cooling during the hotter months. When needed, further heating is provided by wet underfloor heating, powered by an Air Source Heat Pump.

Overall, the new home stays rooted in local history and tradition, all the while injecting its own sense of character and innovation through a beautiful, contemporary design.

Beautifully constructed by Barr Build

Photography by Martin Gardner

What’s next?

We provide Architectural, Interior Design and Landscape Design, throughout London, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and the Cotswolds.  Find out more about how we work or get in touch for an initial conversation.

View a recently completed renovation & extension to a Grade II listed Mill.

See more on designing luxury gym and spa spaces.