Jackie and Alan have lived in Brighton since 1992 in various houses, but were increasingly ‘fed up with living in cold, damp, draughty places, paying huge heating bills and constantly running up and down stairs.’ After completing a self-build course they decided to have their own house built that would be as ‘green as possible.’ They looked around for a suitable site and successfully bid on the plot in Hanover at auction. They gained planning permission to build a bungalow and the project was completed in 2007.
The bungalow is a highly insulated timber frame building slightly set into the ground with underfloor heating throughout. It is very light and airy inside. Each room has its own roof light that lets in plenty of natural light, reducing the need for additional lighting. The house was built to ‘Eco homes’ excellent standard and is a Green Apple National Silver Winner.
Features
+ timber frame
+ solar thermal
+ sheep’s wool insulation
+ condensing boiler
+ grey water system
+ green roof
Further information
Architects: DRP Architects Ltd
Diagram of the of the grey water recycling system (designed by Aquaco)
Building Plan for the house scale 1:50 (large file - 1.3Mb)
Case study: background, features and suppliers