Down House

Down House is located on an elevated site near Newbury in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with panoramic views of the North Wessex Downs.

This low-energy contemporary 4-bedroom replacement dwelling is loosely based on the Arts and Craft-Style house that used to exist on the site and includes design references from the old house, including steeply pitched roof slopes, rendered walls with prominent chimney stacks, as well as a projecting corner bay window—all detailed in a contemporary manner.

The dwelling is constructed using Passivhaus principles incorporating high levels of insulation and airtightness, high-performance glazing and an underfloor heating system served by an air source heat pump. A high-quality palette of materials includes render, timber cladding, zinc and plain clay tiles.

Since its completion in mid-2014, the client has reported remarkably low energy bills and a very comfortable indoor living environment.