|
contents | news | |||||||||
| Brown field eco property complete Exedra architects announce the completion of a sustainable, ecological, private home in the village of Henbury, near Bristol. Work commenced on the project in September 2002 and the owners moved in 2004. The original building, the Dower House, was demolished in the 1950's to make way for a development of medium rise council flats, which were never built and the location remained undeveloped as a brown field site. Old Orchard was developed at the rear of an existing house that used to be the male servant quarters for the main Dower House. The new house faces due south and sits behind an existing stone wall, which is on the main road to the village of Henbury. The property has five bedrooms and was constructed to be energy efficient with 450mm solid thermal mass walls at ground floor level and a super-insulated timber frame on the first floor. The main frames of the building are Glulam columns and beams, which enable the ground floor to be open plan and 1½ storeys in height across its south facing elevation. The ground floor is used as a thermal store. The north elevation has minimal windows to allow cross ventilation to take place through the living areas on warm summer days. The south facing, full height, glazing maximises solar gain and heats the water pipes that run in the thermal floor under the tiled surface. This warmed water filters back to the hot water tank and boosts the heat before additional heat is required to warm the water to usable temperatures. The positioning of deciduous trees across the garden provides shade during the summer while also allowing the sun to penetrate the house in winter. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Construction News :: home page |