The aspiration for this project was high from start. Not only did the client want an exemplar high-performance low-carbon eco home designed and certified in accordance with the Passivhaus Building Standard, but the client also wanted a healthy home, a smart home, and a home that facilitated working from home. On top of that, the site came with its own challenging constraints, being located within the Green Belt, within a Conservation Area, and adjacent to a Grade II listed building.

The design we developed is a direct response to the site’s historic and archaeological context with the scale, form, and layout of the proposed dwelling literally mirroring that of the adjacent Grade II listed house with a larger two-storey pitched roof front wing [to house most of the living accommodation], a smaller single-storey pitched roof rear wing [to function as a home office], and shared entrance lobby that connects the two wings. The key difference between the new and old is that the new dwelling does not attempt to be a pastiche of the existing heritage asset, instead it is purposely contemporary in appearance, materiality, and detailing in order to ensure a clear distinction between old and new, the most respectful approach as endorsed by Historic England. The result we believe will be a building that is of an aspirational quality, such that it could be considered “a listed building of tomorrow”, and sitting alongside an existing Grade II listed building will create a pair of complementary dwellings, albeit belonging to different centuries.

The project is still at the planning stage but we hope to provide updates regarding its progress in due course.