Leicestershire, UK

Studio Bark presents the design for Breach House, a water-powered family home focusing on climate resilience.

The architects were inspired by the water that surrounds the house and managed to incorporate the architecture and landscape, human needs, and ecology, with water as a connecting thread flowing through the proposal.

Breach House, which is partly powered by micro-hydro energy, harvests run-off water from the surrounding fields, filtering this for potable and non-potable uses within the house and landscape.

The site previously held permission for a conversion and significant basement extension to an existing agricultural barn.

Studio Bark wanted to take a different approach, proposing a sensitive restoration of the existing barn to preserve its agricultural use. Meanwhile, the new house will be located at a different part of the site and provide an exceptionally comfortable and environmentally exciting home.

A water tower-inspired structure combines circulation, ventilation, lookout, and water filtration functions.

Studio Bark proposed a holistic strategy that enhances an ecologically degraded agricultural site through a thorough analysis of the landscape and setting.

The scheme achieves an exceptional biodiversity net gain of 60%+ while providing on-site carbon drawdown and natural flood water management.

Project: Breach House
Architects: Studio Bark Ltd.
Client: Private
Photographs: Courtesy of the Architects