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Five Yards House

Over the past seven years we have been catching up with a friend and discussing options, first to renovate and then to build a house to retire to. The conversation turned to the garden, as that is where she wished to retire. The plan was designed around the desire to be constantly engaged with the garden. Rather than a simple glass cube, the garden was to articulate the house and, in return, the house would articulate the garden. Each room has a corresponding garden with its own aesthetic and composition. Full walls of double glazing and a restrained materials palette strengthen the connection between inside and out and increase the sense of space. In the depths of winter the high thermal performance of the building creates a pleasant environment without the need of the log fire. The interspersed courtyards and highly operable glazing, in turn, cool the spaces with natural ventilation in summer. Originally a standard ‘stick build’, the construction methodology developed into a high performing Structurally Insulated Panel System (SIPS). Archier proposed SIPS as it is a highly efficient product that provides structural, insulative and aesthetic solutions in one. This allowed for rapid installation and reduced site wastage.

Architect

Archier

Contractors

Building Edge

Consultants

Structural engineer – Aldanmark Consulting Engineers

Hydraulic consultant – Henry Carr Design and Consulting

Building surveyor – Lee Tyers Building Surveyors

ESD consultant – RED Sustainability

SIPS – Fenster and Panel

Photographer

Adam Gibson

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