A new free-flowing and light-filled home, with high quality spaces which are warm and comfortable, delivered with incredibly low energy requirements by adopting Passivhaus standards
The clients requested a home to retire to which would reflect their love of local heritage, but with a contemporary interpretation which is true to today. The home is to be comfortable and capable of supporting their potentially changing needs as they grow older, while also wishing to entertain friends and family throughout the year.
The proposal is a contemporary Suffolk Long House, with a simple elongated form, a central and vaulted entrance, and brickwork textures which reflect how Long Houses are typically built-up over many generations.
The site is located near to a number of Listed buildings, and this approach creates a locally-sensitive property, which was strongly supported by the local Conservation Officer. Equally, as the Long House is such a simple building shape, it is both more economic to construct and inherently demands lower energy while in use.
The front elevation faces north and has fewer windows with a playful rhythm to their positions. Window positions and sizes generally have been carefully considered to provide daylight and views, without excessive heat-loss in winter or heat-gain in summer.
The rear of the property includes a single-storey ‘pavilion’, with extensive sliding glass to access the garden and draw in natural light and warmth. An external canopy over the rear terrace will provide solar shading, while the polished concrete ground floor will act as a thermal heat sink.
The house is constructed as a prefabricated and full-insulated timber-frame construction to provide high standards for both insulation levels and air tightness (draft-proofing).
The intelligent heating and ventilation system by Naked House adopts a large thermal store supported by solar panels during the warmer months, and a log-burner with integrated back-boiler during cooler months. Coupled with a whole-house heat recovering ventilation system, the heating demands will be incredibly low.
Location Woolpit Green, Bury St Edmunds
Area 325sm
Status Complete
Cost Consultant Build Momentum Consulting Ltd
Structural Engineer Morrish and Partners
Lighting Designer Claire Spellman Lighting Design
Landscape Design Teasels Design
Passivhaus Planning Package Green Peaches
Contractor BSSR Ltd
Heating and Ventilation Specialist Naked House
“Without Cocoon’s expertise we would never have got a building to this standard.
So much thought and care has gone into the project looking at our needs and the location, bringing elements of historic buildings from the area into a modern house.”
Kathy and Tim, Long House
“Cocoon have been contracted to design a house that will see myself and my husband through our later life, providing us with a high quality dwelling that will be easy to run and enable us to live independently, or with live in care, for the years to come.
The design Cocoon has prepared for us will fulfill all of our requests and more. We have opted for a Passive style dwelling that will work for us, giving a comfortable lifestyle. We are very excited by this project.
Cocoon have been very patient with us throughout the design and planning process, their ideas and our requests have been bought together with imagination and flair.
Without Cocoon’s expertise we would never have got a building to this standard. So much thought and care has gone into the project looking at our needs and the location, bringing elements of historic buildings from the area into a modern house.
Cocoon will supported us throughout the build, taking away the stress and guiding us with the hundreds of decisions which will have to be made.
We would thoroughly recommend Cocoon Architects for anyone who has a project or dream the wish to fulfil”
Kathy and Tim, Long House
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