Our clients' aim for the Earth House project was to create a modern home, which is truly embedded in the site's beautiful rural context. The site itself has amazing ecological diversity, with various native tree species, and a small river passing through the base of the site. The context, therefore, is not of a built nature, but of nature itself.
We have worked closely with our clients to develop the design of a single-storey dwelling that is partially 'earth sheltered', or embedded in the gentle slope of the site. The form has a gentle, faceted curve, which provides an approachable feel, focuses views across the site and helps to reduce the visual scale of the dwelling.
Whilst ecologically sensitive and discreet, the home needs to provide modern functionality, and we have worked hard to make sure the simple layout of the house is truly effective for our client's lifestyle. The window openings, materiality, and refined detailing of the green roof will all contribute to the feeling of a contemporary, ecological architecture.
The sustainability aspirations for the project are holistic, in the design approach, but also as we use Passivhaus environmental modelling tools to optimise the building's performance, and prioritise natural, low embodied carbon and ecologically sound materials in the building construction.
We look forward to our continued work on the project over the coming months.
