Houzz Tour: A Family Home Gloucestershire with an ecological heart - A family home is good for the environment is the main provision when Robbie McDonald and Caroline Keenan were developing the brief for their new home . Robbie, a professor of natural environment at the University of Exeter, and Caroline, a family lawyer, wanted to make it as sustainable as possible, using local materials to keep their carbon footprint to a minimum.
There was a challenge architect Tomas Millar of Millar Howard Workshop embraced wholeheartedly. He led the couple to a Passivhaus - or passive house - approach (a rigorous certification standard for energy efficiency), achieving low energy consumption levels by using state-of-the-art technology designed to keep the house as isolated as possible.
"In addition to environmental concerns, the biggest challenge was to make the home a pleasant space for the whole family," says Tomas. "Ultimately, we settled on an open plan with the lives of the family living in the heart of the design.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Robbie McDonald, Caroline Keenan and three children
Location Horsley Gloucestershire
designer Tomas Millar Millar Howard Atelier
Size 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
There was a challenge architect Tomas Millar of Millar Howard Workshop embraced wholeheartedly. He led the couple to a Passivhaus - or passive house - approach (a rigorous certification standard for energy efficiency), achieving low energy consumption levels by using state-of-the-art technology designed to keep the house as isolated as possible.
"In addition to environmental concerns, the biggest challenge was to make the home a pleasant space for the whole family," says Tomas. "Ultimately, we settled on an open plan with the lives of the family living in the heart of the design.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Robbie McDonald, Caroline Keenan and three children
Location Horsley Gloucestershire
designer Tomas Millar Millar Howard Atelier
Size 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Howard Millar workshop
"from locally were basic materials for the project," says Tomas, recalling the building structure. wood of local larch and the Cotswolds stone were used to coat the front, which also features a dry stone wall - an ancient technique that uses no mortar - that looks as good as it is durable. Tomas was also careful to integrate the beautiful landscape in the design, the introduction of a corner window in the master bedroom to capture views of nearby woods.
Discover more beautiful wood siding of houses.
Discover more beautiful wood siding of houses.
Millar Howard Atelier
Tomas wanted differentiate the various sections of the outer sheath, opting for the larch wood in various finishes. The middle section of the house has charred larch (char acts as a natural preservative), which gives character to the otherwise contemporary structure.
Millar Howard Atelier
A stove wood pellet - glimpsed on the left - powers the whole house and was built to power eco-design environment. "It is an automatic feed," says Tomas. "It turns on only when necessary, so it is incredibly effective. There are no gas at all, which makes it very durable.
Millar Howard Atelier
"the views were crucial to Robbie and Caroline, so that every window of the house is designed to take the best possible light, "says Tomas. Bifolding a kitchen window opens breathtaking of the surrounding valley, and acts more like a landscape painting.
See ways to formulate a view
See ways to formulate a view
Millar Howard Atelier
inside the family wanted a sleek back, unfussy and the regime allows the different areas of the living area open to seamlessly flow into each other. elegant limestone flooring creates heat down, while interior balcony that contains the children's playground is equipped with slit windows, ensuring family stay connected even when they are in different parts of the House.
Millar Howard Atelier
low energy Plumen pendant lights hanging above the table in the dining room, emphasizing the sense of openness in the house. Stylish and cabinets neat sliding doors hiding bulky kitchen appliances and TV. "It is very clean and sharp, which is suitable for family up to a T, Tomas said.
Millar Howard Atelier
At upstairs, the large landing is a large play area for children. It also features cabinets from floor to ceiling that Stash masses of things to help keep enviably sleek look of the house.
Millar Howard Atelier
Installation folding doors is something that we often use, "Tomas said." It's a great way to bring the outdoors, doubling the size of the room in the process. These doors were manufactured for the home and are triple glazed to seal the heat and holding the elements according to the Passive approach to construction.
Millar Howard workshop
"We were quite limited with space upstairs, so we kept the kids quite small rooms because they have the playground common on the landing, "says Tomas. to offset this, it introduced platform beds in the loft space, which although compact, are great fun.
See hideaways children trendiest
See hideaways children trendiest
Millar Howard Atelier
Silver wallpaper lends a space age feel the boy's room, which has views into the nearby woods via a skylight. It is this mixture the natural world and modern style which enjoys Tomas. "What I love most about this house is the combination of vernacular materials and contemporary design, Tomas said. "Externally, it is materially rich, but the interior is charming and sleek back. It is very much a home for this family, and that's what makes it work.
Tempted by the principles of passive house? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Tempted by the principles of passive house? Let us know what you think in the comments below.