The brief was to design a contemporary home for a retired couple who were looking to downsize from their family farm house on the edge of the village. The key driver of the project was to take advantage of the open and exposed site with sweeping views across the landscape. The clients asked for plenty of space for their large family to visit but also wanted to be able to close off parts of the house when it was just the two of them at home.  The building is orientated in order to provide several spaces to relax and enjoy the views.

The design includes fully accessible accommodation on the ground floor with level access and a wet room so the owners could stay in the house as they get older and less mobile. It was essential that this accessible space was finished in the same high standard as the rest of the house.

The clients asked for a low energy performance dwelling with minimal running costs and built to Passive House standards. We achieved this by incorporating an Air Source Heat Pump for heating and hot water, an MVHR system for controlled ventilation, PV cells on the roof for electricity generation, battery storage and triple glazing throughout.