Hilltop Passive House
A contemporary home with stunning panoramic views of the Malvern Hills
Team
Architecture and design: David Holland Architecture and Design
Timber frame: MBC Timber Frame
Contractor: Self-managed by Client
Photography: David Holland/Client
Type
New Passive House (certification pending)
Location
Near Malvern, Worcestershire
Status
Under construction
Located at the crest of a hill and surrounded by farmland, the brief for this new home was really quite simple – build a home that takes advantage of the views whilst reducing the environmental impact.
The client had already explored whether the existing dwelling – a 1900s solid-wall cottage which had already been extended and modified quite a bit – could be remodelled and retrofitted, but it was very compromised in terms of size, orientation, and would most-likely have required so much remedial work that any benefits to keeping the original structure would have been completely wiped out. Retrofit-first is undoubtedly the right approach most of the time, but in this case it was agreed that a replacement dwelling was likely to give better outcomes both for the client and the environment, as long as it was built responsibly.
The building has been designed with a compact form which maximises performance and reduces cost. In order to break-up the visual mass a few key design moves were introduced and these have other benefits too, again helping to realise more value from the project. The ‘cranked’ plan allows the building to properly address the lane to the east, whilst also taking in the views to the north-west. The wrap-around veranda provides valuable sheltered outside spaces and additional space for biodiverse green roof coverings. It also provides a key ‘breakpoint’ with different materials above and below to make the building appear smaller.
Key statistics
Estimated heat demand: 14 KWh/m2·yr (PHPP)
Airtightness: 0.26 ACH
