Located on the Nadder River in Salisbury, this home is our latest contemporary, PassivHaus self-build. The design revolves around an affordable eco-friendly home with a bold expression using buff bricks and a contrasting charred timber cladding. A natural tone interior completes the warm aesthetics of the house. The project brings the outdoors in with large openings creating an expansive view of the garden and river from the living spaces.

Careful analysis of the site, allowed us to take full advantage of existing features, such as the position of the sun and direction of the wind throughout the day. This highly insulated, eco-friendly house utilises a variety of sustainable features such as south facing windows for winter solar gains with solar shading to reduce overheating, smart environmental control systems, PV Panels, Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery. This project was designed to Passivhaus standards creating a long lasting and sustainable home for the future. The proposal creates a comfortable living environment with minimal impact on the surrounding context.

We developed a narrative around the river tributaries of the Salisbury Avon with its unique chalk stream which is one of only 200 in the world. This river forms the basis of the inspiration for the architectural concept. The building is visualised as a piece of chalk lying on the edge of the river, partially eroded to reveal the rough rugged textures that typically lie on the riverbed. Remnants of the original white chalk stone are referenced into the building’s strong pure forms and predominately white exterior. The crystal-clear waters that are typical of these rivers are symbolised in the moments of transparency within the building, where the lines between outdoor and indoor living are blurred.

For more information on PassivHaus design visit our ethos page to find out how we are committed to taking action on the most pressing social and environmental issues.