Passive Farmhouse

The new farmhouse at Mid Farm is a high-performance dwelling, set to achieve the coveted Passive House standard when it is completed. Located at the centre of a Bedfordshire farm, it replaces a tumble-down stable and tiny cottage, which previously formed the third wing of the existing historic farmyard. Whilst different in its materiality and construction methods, the design is still uncompromisingly agricultural and quite utilitarian in appearance – it features metal roofing sheets, galvanised metal rainwater goods, exposed timber fixings – so it still feels appropriate for the context.

The existing concrete courtyard to the east will be retained, becoming a sheltered, productive garden, and on the opposite side of the building will be a soft-landscaped garden with lots of wildflowers and grasses, and native trees to enhance the overall biodiversity of the site.

At the centre of the design is the kitchen and dining room; a fantastic double-height space that is glazed both sides to connect the two exterior spaces. The ceiling is clad with Ash which was felled and milled on the farm as part of the sustainable woodland management plan.

Circular thinking
From the very beginning, the client had a clear objective to minimise the whole-life carbon for the project and it serves to demonstrate with some care and determination it is possible to do on a domestic scale. This started at the demolition phase - careful planning and coordination allowed materials to be reclaimed for the new build, or sent for recycling – and flowed through the whole process right up to the point of picking reclaimed Beech wood flooring, and a second-hand kitchen.

Key statistics
Estimated heat demand: 13.5 KWh/m2·yr (PHPP)
Airtightness: 0.2 ACH (preliminary testing)
Whole-life carbon: TBC