East Devon, United Kingdom
Category: Private Homes Year: 2021 Architects: AR Design Studio Lead Architect: Penelope Andrews Design Team: Andy Ramus and Tom Ford Contractor: Mew Developments, Dorset Client: Private Photographers: Martin Gardner
Woodland House is a private, bespoke replacement dwelling in East Devon, completed in 2022. The clients envisaged relocating from the hustle and bustle of London to tranquil rural Devon. The couple’s children left home so downsizing would allow them the opportunity to pursue their ambition of building their dream home. Having lived in Grade II listed properties it was important for the clients to have an air-tight, energy-efficient new-build. The house was to be spatially efficient for the couple, but able to accommodate the whole family for periods.
The house perches on a plateau of ground with elevated views down into the valley and also benefits from short views of mature woodland. In Forestry Commission conifer plantations, the house itself lies within a pocket of dwellings within deciduous woodland. As such, biodiversity was considered throughout the design. A garden was established for wildflowers, and woodland perennials covered the ground under trees to provide relief to mossy ground.
Three distinct volumes characterize the design; a two-story central volume is flanked by two single-story wings. The main living space is within two volumes, whilst the third provides accommodation for the family and can be closed off when not used. Angular geometry responds to the contours of the site, mimicking undulations of the landscape. Diagonal timber cladding animates the geometry and considered openings have been sparingly cut into volumes to frame views. Internally, a dynamic roofscape creates vaulted ceilings.
Siberian Larch heartwood cladding was specified, finished in vacuum-coated black; this is double-mitered at the corners with no profile edging to ensure a sharp finish, reinforcing the form. Externally, window reveals comprise factory-coated Western Red Cedar. Internally a plywood handmade kitchen is a feature of the open plan living space; a timber-clad staircase connects two floors, and this materiality continues on the first floor with an engineered oak timber floor.
The clients are passionate about sustainability and energy efficiency, which led to an angled roof for Photovoltaics, and an air source heat pump system was specified, making this a zero-combustible household. Build-ups achieve U-values of 0.13 W/m2K to 0.16 W/m2K. A highly specified construction and fabric-first approach to detailing ensured the home achieved an ‘A’ EPC rating for thermal comfort. Real-time energy consumption data has proved the dwelling’s energy efficiency, with 60% self-sufficiency across a one-year period.
