Architect drawings

Derek and the RX team have done a great job and we are very pleased with the results and now ready to take them through planning.

RX took the time to listen to us and understand us as people, what we do and how we live. It helped that Derek has similar interests as a Windsurfer and business owner himself with small kids.

When showing us around their other projects he was apt to point out features and design details. It’s hard to grasp what a space actually feels like from a photo alone and the visits helped shape what we wanted.

One of RX’s previous projects in Winchelsea

One of the most eye opening but perhaps frustrating realisations was the difference a well executed detail makes. We saw projects built for discerning custom builders as well as developers and the difference was clear. An elegant frameless window made a small room bigger and a seamless threshold brought the outside in. Joinery made to fit with no architrave and the correct proportions vs standard doors and trim. Great to see but frustrating as it’s expensive and hard to un-see!

The architects process

Derek and team first worked to build an accurate model of the land, all the contours and levels. They visited the plot in the day, evening and night. They were careful to ensure that the vantage points for the neighbours would not be obscured, that our view would clear the rooftops of surrounding buildings and trees. There were also things we hadn’t thought about such as the position of street lamps and how they would cast light into the building at night.

Derek had a good balance between listening to our thoughts and steering us towards something different. I remember on a first visit when he arrived with a floor plan and a bunch of photos of parts of similar buildings. Walking around the floor plan and bringing up the photos was a good way to visualise what it might be like.

We managed to talk to a few of the neighbours prior to lockdown and will pop a letter through their doors prior to the application. We hope the low, green and ecologically sound nature of the building will make this a great addition to the community setting.

Exterior designs

The exterior of the building is a mix of natural Larch wood cladding, triple glazing, a subtle dark grey render and greenery.

The south and west facing picture frame corner window will make the most of the views. The large windows from the living and kitchen area onto the garden will make it easy to keep an eye on the kids.

The south elevation will have a wild garden below. The small lower floor is in a subtle grey render and will not be visible to anyone as it is obscured by trees along the south border. It will however create a private terrace for us and guests.

From the road the house will be almost entirely green. At 1.6m above the road most people can see over the top of the roof out to sea. The roof height is about the same height as neighbour window sills ensuring no loss of light or view.

The garden space will have a wheelchair friendly ramp as well as steps as a shortcut. The walkways and garden will be planted (looks quite stark in the model).

The entrance from the parking area will have plantings either side. We’ll encourage plants up the north side wall as it is windowless apart from this pillar box window in the study which will look into the private part of the entrance.

Living space designs

The main living area will be a kitchen/dining/living room. Extensive glazing and roof lights connect us to the outside

The master bedroom has a large south-west facing window. The balcony is positioned such that surrounding properties are hidden keeping the room private.

The main terrace has enough room for some outdoor seating.

The lower terrace is a private space with large doors and enough space to bring boards/boats/bikes for drying or repair.

Eco credentials

We always intended to build to Passivehaus standards and conventions but we’re not sure about going through the steps for certification. However as we went through the design process we felt we wanted to ensure the building would perform well.

We had a Passivehaus designer do initial calculations on the building and estimated we’ll need about 41kWh/m2 per year. Our building will need about 8,200kWh of energy per year. This means will be able to obtain this entirely from the sun and household activities. By comparison the average similarly sized home in the UK would consume about 28,600kWh of energy.

To minimise energy loss the house will be air tight and use a Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system for ventilation. The MVHR draws in fresh cold air from the outside and warms it up using the stale warm are from the house. This means a continuous supply of fresh and filtered warm air while almost completely eliminating energy loss.

The hot water we use will be largely generated from two large solar thermal panels. These heat water rather than generating electricity which will provide the largest energy saving and eliminate the need for a gas boiler. We will install a small air source heat pump to do the remaining water heating. With no need for space heating the plumbing can be kept simple and eliminate the use of carbon intensive materials.

We hope to install a powerful 22kW electric car charging station if the grid supports this. One day we may add solar cells and a battery to power the car.

The surroundings will be planted with a biodiverse mix of plants to encourage birds, insects (especially pollinators) and other local creatures such as lizards. The entire roof will be a mix of grasses, shrubs and wild flowers and the perimeter of the plot will be planted. The car park will have room for two cars, be made from permeable asphalt and have a planted surround.

We hope that with this building we will vastly reduce our family’s environmental impact and improve the ecology of the site.