Reading Ecohome

This newbuild house is designed to Passivhaus standards on the site of a former pumping station and bordering woodland. The brief was to create a good-size home within what is a very tight site, and incorporate the outdoor parking spaces required by planning.

Using a series of terraces across a number of levels, we were able to create a home larger than first appears, urban at the front, but with contrasting views through the woodland at the rear. The objective of Passivhaus is to create a low energy home, that will help the owners to reduce their energy use and carbon emissions whilst also living within comfortable, light surroundings The Passivhaus approach means that the home is as low impact as possible, designed using a fabric first approach with good orientation, a compact building form, very high levels of insulation, triple glazing, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, and heat pumps.

Location: Caversham, Reading

Materials: The dwelling contrasts crisp render and flint cladding, with green roofs and decking.

Clever aspects: Creative use of the site topography and levels to create a building far bigger than would otherwise have been accommodated.

Friends on the project: Roman Building Design and Construction commissioned this project. We worked with ecological consultants Syntegra to provide a scheme of ecological enhancements for the site.

We love:  Designing to Passivhaus standards and the experience that living in this house will provide, contrasting an urban street frontage with a rear that fully opens up to the woods.