Houzz Tour: A Great Low Energy Home in the Cotswolds - Located in the heart of the Cotswolds, Hill Barn is a 300 year old stone structure in a first plane, beautiful location atop 'a hill. Architect Chris Seymour-Smith and his wife, Helen, know the property well, as it is on land owned by the father of Helen, in outstanding natural beauty area. father and Helen previous owners had tried and failed to get planning permission to convert the abandoned building, "including the drummer for Duran Duran, who wanted to turn it into a studio," Chris said. Undeterred, Chris, who owns Seymour-Smith Architects, applied under the exceptional rule Country House. "Only about four houses a year were authorized under this rule," says Chris, "and each property must be truly exceptional.
Underhill House is certainly that. Dug into the hill and visible from the surrounding countryside, this contemporary house extends out of the barn and was designed as a Passivhaus - a German standard resulting in a 0% reduction in carbon emissions compared to that of an average home. In fact, Underhill became the first certified Passivhaus in England. "Passivhaus has very simple principles," Chris said. "The houses are super-insulated, airtight, ideally southern tip to maximize solar gain and are triple glazed.
It took about 18 months to build this revolutionary property, which Chris and his family moved in 2010. "inside, it has a wonderfully fresh, the atmosphere always says Chris," no drafts, it is very quiet and yes, you can open the windows!
Houzz at a glance
Who lives here Chris Seymour-Smith, his wife Helen and their son
Location The Cotswolds
designer Seymour-Smith Architects
Size 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
Seymour-Smith Architects
"We made a 3D model on the computer of a mile radius around the site," says Chris. "We used it to work on small to position the house -. We continued to fall down until we could no longer see "He and his team dug around 3m at the end. "Going up the hill along the road, you can see the entrance, but that's it. The region, the house is hidden.
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the original barn adjacent to the new house was converted to Passivhaus standards, too, with plans to use it as an office. Solar panels flank the south wall. 'From March to October, we have free hot water, Chris said. "From October to March there is not enough sun, so we installed a small wood stove with a back boiler. You only have to light once to reload thermal store of the house for two to three days. "
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Chris installed a swimming pool in shallow slate near the house. "I have always loved the water close to architecture, he said. "When you open the windows, you get a nice cool breeze, ionized air blowing in. This section of the house facing west. "When the sun hits the pool, it creates beautiful dappled reflections on the bedroom ceiling bedroom and study. The pool quickly became the focus frogs, newts and snakes. 'If you change the environment back in favor of nature, he quickly took the lead and rushes, Chris said. "Within six months, the pool was full of wildlife.
Check finest water features
Check finest water features
Seymour-Smith Architects
this space, above the house and flanked by the wall of the barn, is what Chris calls "G & T terrace! Instead of a parapet painted solid white, he installed this fence design. "He breaks the space and makes the most points of view, too, he said. "You can see here three counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. It is gobsmacking!
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Chris used as many recycled materials possible in the house. "It's made from a green concrete, which contains 70% recycled materials, he said. "The paviers on the terrace are made from waste from the kaolin industry, so they have a beautiful white glow and help bounce light into the house.
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responsible planning will not allow Chris to put a roof over their part in the ruins of the barn behind the house, so instead he and Helen use this space as a vegetable garden. 'W here the barn remains open, we two large planters oak railway sleepers, "he said.
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Triple windows are sealed from the property. The air is filtered through a heat recovery ventilation system, which eliminates stale air and moist air from the kitchen and bathrooms, and replace it with clean filtered air without heat loss. "It creates a very fresh and clean atmosphere inside the house," Chris said. "It is ideal for those with allergies. The temperature generally remains at a constant 20-21C and there are no currents. "The first year we lived here, it was -15C outside, and there was snow up to the house, but even then, inside it was a comfortable 19C, he said . Triple glazing means the house is also incredibly quiet. "We live close to RAF Brize Norton and get huge Hercules aircraft flying over, Chris said. "You can see them but you can not hear them!
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'the house began as white, Chris said, "but since we lived here, we thought about where we might want a little color. The living room now has a red feature wall enclosing the wood stove and log store. "Most of the house is always white, but we wanted to break into a certain color, he said.
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a library corner forms part of the large open living plan, which also has a seating area, dining area and kitchen. "It's very enjoyable read alongside these large French windows," Chris said.
Seymour-Smith Architects
To improve efficiency, a Passivhaus has no thermal bridges. 'In an old style building, you have a solid brick wall, which is cold outside and warm inside, without insulation, Chris said. "This is a cold bridge. People then often isolate their properties within a certain degree, but few areas, such as the space around a window, remain. Heat transfer through these pockets of cold space, which means you lose energy and often get mold, too. "A Passivhaus designs these thermal bridges and small gaps in the insulation. "It's about nibbling all the parts of a house that lose energy," he explains.
Visit other Passivhaus building
Visit other Passivhaus building
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"We lived in the Georgian house smaller in London before moving," says Chris. "Our furniture has been lost here. So the couple took most of the furniture made to fit the home. The dining table is made of oak planks, cut from a tree that was blown down on the farm of the father of Helen ago a decade. "Then we used the steel left over from the base of the building," says Chris. "We had to keep up the barn with massive media while we built the new house. Once the structure was in place, a local blacksmith cut the supports for the legs of the table. The table is never covered. "I know every wine stain on it from all sides, he said, laughing. "We like the furniture has a story."
Seymour-Smith Architects
"We wanted the house to feel as fresh and open as possible," said Chris, "so we did not want curtains." instead, a blind fitted externally responsive to a sensor. When there is too much sun, it comes automatically to control the amount of solar gain and prevent the room from becoming too warm. "We use it at night, too," he adds.
Seymour-Smith Architects
Then the main living rooms and bedrooms border the terrace, all documents annexed thereto are on the hill side of the building, which has no windows. Here, there is space for a media room, office, laundry room and wine cellar, plus a storage area that doubles as a gym.
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