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02 September 2008
The Green Valley
How many of us can expect or even hope for a childhood dream to be realised? As a child, Lucy Milne would ride her horse to Owlpen near Bath and wished of living there one day. Forward to 2008 and Lucy and her husband Andrew have the perfect green, sustainable home, designed by George Batterham of Batterham Matthews Design in Bath. Their home has an enviable posiion with spectacular views to the south and west and has been built to create a low energy sustainable dwelling, worthy of its position within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The brief for their project was to create a sophisticated living space that is sensitive to the environment and part of the stunning landscape.
Lucy said "We are still pinching ourselves to make sure it's real, this fabulous place. I hope that we will always be privileged to be here and never lose the thrill we're experiencing now. It is a truly extraordinary home."
Design Approach
Owlpen was inspired by George Batterhams' own home on the southern slopes of Colerne. Lucy and Andrew were struck with the light and airy, communal living space on the first floor with the private space of the bedrooms on the lower level. It is, in effect, an upside down, open plan home that responds to the orientation and contours of the land; this gives the feeling of living in the view as opposed to looking at the view outside the window. The vision for Owlpen started from this and developed taking many sustainable issues on board.
A prime consideration was to have as much south and west facing sunlight coming the the house in order to enjoy the light, open and airy spaces. You enter Owlpen on the first floor to an open plan living area, evening and inter snug and study. The bedrooms are built into the bank below shielded from cold, northerly winds. Gentle, curved glue laminated beams form the roof structure which is covered with sedum, the low growing apline plant. This helps to root the design into the setting but also enhances the buildings thermal insulation. Over 90% of the glazing is on the south and west to take advantage of solar gain.
The building and the landscape work harmoniously with the new home nestling alongside mature trees which were very much worthy of retention. The design of the building allows it to respond sensitively to the slope, views and orientation of the land but is mostly hidden from views looking back to it across the valley.
Owlpen has been built utilising as many environmental strategies as possible including:- compact two storey plan to maximise volume to surface ratio; solar gain maximised with glazing on the south and south west and heat loss minimised with small openings on the north and east; sedum roof used to slow down rainwater run off and increase biodiversity; ground warmth used as insulation; ‘Warmcel’ recycled newspaper for roof insulation; natural ventilation and daylight; maximum use of natural materials with low embodied energy throughout; natural spring water supply, and a ground source heat pump utilising two bore holes.
There was a strong preference for the use of natural materials where possible; bath stone, cedar cladding and an integral render. Carbon dioxide is ‘locked up’ with a timber roof and hardwood timber windows were installed. This not only reduces the maintenance of an ‘eco’ home but also enhances the visual quality of the building.
So you want to build an eco home?
Building a new home can have a major impact or be as gentle as possible on the natural world. From a long ago dream to the fabulous lifestyle they are living today, Andrew and Lucy Milne prove that you can have a chic and stylish home which has a sensitive, low scale impact on the environment.
Another big plus, especially with fuel costs continuing to increase dramatically, is because of the many sustainable energies they have, long term running costs are forecast to be a lot lower when compared to other detached houses of a similar size. The choices for an eco home are limitless and Batterham Matthews Design in Bath can assist you in your project, however large or small.
George commented “It has been an extremely rewarding project to work with such an enlightened and forward thinking client who was committed to a sustainability agenda throughout the briefing and construction.”
