Mid-Devon Eco Build

An elegant fusion of traditional and modern

The aim of this project was to construct a thermally efficient home without compromising on aesthetics. It was important that the exterior of the building should be in keeping with the local landscape and so natural materials such as timber cladding and stone were used.

 

Energy-efficiency came from a range of solutions using renewable sources: photovoltaic panels, an air source heat pump, solar thermals and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. The project used a hybrid of traditional and modern materials, all of which complemented one another beautifully. Intelligent design and careful material selection make the building extremely energy efficient and the attention to detail on site contributed to achieving an excellent air permeability score of circa 3m³/hm2.

Project Manager, Ethan Pratt recalls:

“The best part of the project was working with an ambitious client and a site team who really bought into the design. Nick Britton (Woofenden Site Manager) conscientiously oversaw the site works on a daily basis and was always driven by quality, ensuring the client’s vision was achieved.”

“We’re really proud of the care, attention to detail and quality of finish on things like tiling.”

 

It wasn’t all plain sailing: the location of the site presented some logistical challenges, along with inclement weather, which affected progress due to the exposed position on the hill side. When constructing the garages, poor ground conditions caused difficulties, but these were overcome by involving a local structural engineering company and agreeing on a range of alternative potential designs. In the end, piling and reinforced concrete formation methods were used.

  

We’re always trying to improve our skills. Installing such advanced mechanical and electrical systems in a domestic application led to new thinking and abilities. The routing of these services was challenging, with the absence of a suspended grid ceiling or service boxes/trunking. There was a lot of forward thinking and consideration of other trades to make sure all systems were installed at the correct times and in the right order. Effective weekly meetings with the client made this possible.

 

We’d like to thank everyone who worked on the project and helped to make this beautiful home a reality.

Watch the video to see more exciting photos from inside and oustide the property.