When our client bought a plot in Quenington at auction in 2019, it looked like he’d secured himself little more than an overgrown scrubland in lovely surroundings. However, after a little digging (quite literally), he unearthed footings that had been cast 20 years earlier. Our brief was clear – our client wanted a traditional-looking home that was anything but traditional beneath the surface.
What we helped him create is a house of wonderful contradictions that we’ve nicknamed the ‘Stealth House’…
From the outside, it looks every inch the traditional Cotswold House, and fits perfectly into its Conservation Area surroundings. However, on the inside, it’s an ultra-modern, 21st century house, built for a low-carbon future.
To achieve this juxtaposition, we fixed locally sourced stone externals to a SIPS timber panel prefabricated frame. This combination not only looks the part but it also produces excellent airtightness and thermal insulation, which – allied to the natural stone also providing thermal mass on the outside – results in a low-energy-demand house that’s easy to heat in the winter; yet stays cool in the summer.
Additionally, we installed an air source heat pump for heating and hot water, a mechanically vented heat recovery system to provide consistent ventilation throughout the year, and solar panels to power the house, heat pump and cars.
Finally, our client had us incorporate some memorable finishing touches inside; including a floating staircase and a glass wine bar (purchased on a whim!) that rises up out of the floor at the touch of a button – the perfect way to toast a job well done.