Due to the vagaries of East Hampshire District Council’s planing policy, a number of applications had to be submitted to extend the existing cottage (on paper at least) to form a realistic “fall-back” position where the existing cottage could be significantly increased in size above what would normally be permitted for a replacement dwelling. With these extension permissions secured, a planning application could then be submitted for the new house.

The client’s initial brief was for the new home to have the simple built-form, reminiscent of traditional gable-end and rectangular agricultural barn structures with lower eaves, but with a contemporary aesthetic overall externally and internally. Materials were to be a mix of simple timber cladding and stonework with slate and standing seam metal roofing. The finalised design is for a U-shaped building creating a sheltered courtyard to the rear, looking out over the sloping site and woodland beyond. The wings of the U-shape are single storey and contain the main living space and principal bedroom; both of which are vaulted to give large windows and to take advantage of the simple construction nature of a SIPs build. The building form is expressed on the ends of the two storey and single storey wings with aluminium clad panels from ground level and over the edges of the roof. The single storey elements are stone clad with a zinc standing seam roof, the two storey front section of the bulding is timber clad with slate roof.

The ground floor contains the principal bedroom, ensuite and dressing room, study, laundry / utility room (complete with dog-shower…), and the open plan kitchen, dining and reception room. A fourth bedroom with ensuite completes the ground floor accommodation. The vaulted entrance hall, with sunked spiral wine-store as a focus and talking point in the centre of the space, leads up to a bridge link between the two first-floor bedrooms and bathrooms. The gable ends of the first-floor bedrooms are completed wih re-entrant balconies, set back from the end of the bulding to give privacy and shading to the glazing.

Large glazed openings facing south-west would normally be a concern with their potential for creating internal overheating; the lack of a cantilevered roof structure prevents deep eaves shading the windows. However, in keeping with the agricultural barn appearance, large sliding timber panels have ben designed and included that can be used to close off each of the south-west facing windows in summer on particularly hot days; with the sliding screens closed the doors behind can be opened to maintain a refreshing cross breeze through the building.

For more new SIPs panel homes click here

For more new homes click here

SIPs Contractor was Bentley Projects

Waverley Borough Council today granted Full Planning Permission for this new 3,300sqft Contemporary Dwelling for a private client within the BE3 Area of Special Environmental Quality in Farnham.

Surrounded by trees the new house will be constructed using the Mantle Panel Building System of SIPs which provide external wall U-values down at 0.1W/msqK (only one third of Building Regulations maximum) and Air Permeability Rates of just 1.0m.cu/h/msq (10% of Building Regulation requirements). Overall, the CO2 emissions from the property will be more than 25% lower than Building Regulation requirements despite the extensive glazing and without the need to resort to expensive renewable technologies such as PV panels, solar thermal or ground source heat pumps.

Construction is due to start on site later this year.