A 3-bedroom house in a stunning location within Wiltshire. The building has been carefully designed to have a very minimal impact on the landscape, utilising recognisable forms which are appropriate to the area, and a broken-up mass in-line with local precedent and which suits the context. 

 

The orientation maximises views across the green corridor and ecology area immediately to the south west of the site. The lower ground has a perforated plinth of masonry and glazed openings. The elevation is a careful balance of full height / half height openings, solid and void. 

 

The massing of the building has been carefully reduced and minimised. The dwelling has been split horizontally into two elements; ‘plinth’ and ‘top’, with the plinth becoming inhabited and partially submerged. The ‘top’ has then been vertically split into three elements; a pair of agricultural pavillions - one at each end, and a sedum-roofed glazed link building stepped-back in plan. 

 

Sustainable Design Principles

 

By adopting passive solar design principles we have made a considerable improvement to a dwelling’s energy efficiency. 

Windows are deep-set to take advantage of passive solar shading during the summer months, and have supplementary external shutters to protect from excessive solar gain, and to minimise any light pollution at night into the green corridor. 

 

The siting of the building has been optimised to use resources prudently while minimising waste and pollution. The building is partially submerged with a single storey being fully under the existing ground level - this has both a design and environmental benefit. The siting has ensured that the maximum practical and aesthetic benefit is achieved with the minimum excavation and disruption to the site. The materials chosen are standard building materials with a long life-expectancy, which results in a lower full- life embodied energy. The use of traditional building materials ensures local construction expertise will be capable of simple construction, with minimal site waste. 

High levels of thermal insulation and air tightness throughout will ensure minimal use of energy, and outperform Building Regulations Parts L, and K.