The issue: Modern housing estates as a mass-produced model, often lack a sense of locality in their design, sourcing of material and identity. They provide rigid structures on spatial relationships with little thought for adaptability.

 

The Concept: The concept is to create a collection of houses that are of their place, using timber & soil from the plot itself to create a rammed earth spine wall, frame structure and timber screens & cladding.

 

As part of the Grown in Britain initiative, the housing plot is planted with a grid of 25 fast growing Douglas Firs, these will be felled to create a clearing & material for the structure of the dwelling.

The dwelling will provide contemporary architect-designed inspirational spaces, however with a simple modular approach and application to mass production capable of being adapted to create a futureproof stable community.

 

The home: Grounded in its landscape, on approach all you see is a rammed earth wall, semi sunken/banked with grass. The dwelling blends into the woodland. The wall gives privacy to the dwelling, while providing protection from the north aspect. Internally the rammed earth wall gives texture and interest to the internal environment.

 

The plan is long and thin to allow maximum light and fresh air ventilation. Bedrooms are located towards the east end to give morning light, with an open plan living area to the west. The living area is designed to have light throughout the day.

 

Set out on a 3x3m grid, echoing the planting grid of the forest, the structure, cladding & internal storage wall partitions are modular and adaptable to reconfiguration. The timber frame over the terraces is envisaged to be structural, and this with the pre-existing roof, makes extension easy and inexpensive.