Earth-Sheltered Eco-House Roof Gardens | Vaughan Keal

Low House, an earth-sheltered eco-house, was a response to probably the most restricted land in the UK. On a Clunic Priory, Ancient Monument, Grade 1 church, surrounded by grade 2 and 2* buildings, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Heritage Coast and Conservation Area, it was also outside the development boundary and classed as Open Countryside!

At Appeal, it was considered "Architecture of the highest order", a 'PPS7 case' only a handful of architects have achieved. The Design and Conservation Officer wrote it was an "ingenious solution" and it gained the backing of The Past President of the RIBA, David Rock, as "an award winner". A highly controversial scheme, every District Councillor opposed it at first, and the whole Council Chamber was once against it. It was a newspaper case.

The principle won the day, by building into a slope the roof was organised to be a continuation of the land level on the village side, and turned into the home's landscaping, it meant the village looked over it and it became inperceptable. It is a Ha-Ha in effect.

This Ha-Ha concealed the South West facing lower courtyard, around which the house is organised, and a swimming pond as a feature in the middle. Above there are no elevations, below, the elevations are practically all glass, that flood the inside with natural light. The glazing can slide, away from internal corners and in summer ideally connects the inside and outside, while all year round, one is always connected to the landscaping outside and beyond to the greater Henham Park landscape and marshes that surround the village on the lower levels.

The house is merged into the landscape, becoming one with it.

Entry is via a greatle curved slope one end to a porte cochere in which one parks, while seeing right through that wing into the main courtyard through the two walls of the glazing to the sitting area that end. A formal porch, welcomes the visitor, with sunken kitchen herb garden adjacent, plants inserted into rock gambions surrounding. The inner door, reveals itself to a large, spacious open Living Area West that weaves to lead to central spine of Bedroom accommodation suites. Beyond is a semi-connected Pavillion of guest accommodation.

The home is minimalist in feel, with carefully chosen naturalistic earth based materials, all grand and unfussy in finish, but sumptuous. It all hides sophisticated operating systems for servicing and lighting. The basic principle of energy stability from thermal mass using passive solar gains and a mechanical heat recovery heat pump system for high efficiency.

This home reached practical completion in 2015, but needs a few years for the landscape to develop so we show some 'in progress' photographs, waiting for the right time to review when landscape established.

July 2017, we add a special addition to view how the landscape is developing....the principle is a hightened form of naturalistic planting in drifts, pinoneered by the Dutch Plantsman Piet Ouldorf. Within this overall framework, fruits and vegetables are to be inserted subtly as well as more formal lawn and dedicated productive areas.

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