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to gauge the extent to which the claims are accurate. For example, a home with good quality double-glazing is clearly more energy efficient than one with old and crumbling single-glazed frames, but there may be very little else that’s ‘eco-smart’ about it. Once in a while however, a house comes
AMID
along that has all the credentials to act as something of a benchmark for sustainable homes. A thoroughly intelligent house, each
component of this property in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is able to communicate with others making it a highly efficient and accountable scheme. The infrastructure combines high performance renewable and sustainable methods including double air source heat pump technology and rainwater harvesting. Designed and built by LaROCK
Construction, 1 Zero 4 is a multi-million pound residential scheme. It is a five-bedroom multi-functional home that goes some way to exceeding the buzz word ‘future-proof’. Complete home automation, AV and eco
technology systems have been amalgamated into a single coherent system, all managed via a centralised AMX control system and iPad technology. Known for its ambient beauty and
vernacular architecture, Harrogate is perhaps an ideal location for such a striking piece of architecture. The plot - on one of the busiest roads into the centre of the town – previously housed a 3-bedroom, single storey cottage which had been built in the 1960s and occupied by the same resident for 30 years. The plot area itself has remained exactly
the same as the former cottage, but the property size has increased from 750 sq ft
all the talk of sustainable design, it is sometimes hard
to 5850 sq ft through strategic layering of floors and basement excavation taking the structure from 1 storey to 4 storeys. At the heart of the architect’s design is
a layout that is inspired by life and living and the intermingling of generations. 1 Zero 4 is a home based on research into what families want and need combined with what they aspire to. Spacial planning pivoted on ‘need’ matched with luxury combined with capturing the element of adventure and mystery with secret doorways, panels and drawers, floating furniture and curiosities. An interconnecting scheme linked by communicating systems, the house is fully digitised, enabling the heating and other systems to be controlled automatically for the most efficient performance without the owners even having to think about it. Although set back from the road, 1 Zero
4 has been designed to divert the senses away from the presence of traffic. The south facing elevation of the scheme contains living and sleeping areas allowing for quiet enjoyment of the house. Double height ceilings and over-sized
doorways (2.5m) matched with an abundance of space gives luxury without boundaries as all window-ways on the south elevation open up through a bespoke designed system of folding doors, dramatically extending living space into the grounds. Inside, LaROCK have used a skilled
team of artisan craftsmen responsible for the sustainable sourcing of timber and the creation of doors, windows, staircases, beds,
➔
AN ECO EDUCATION Being prominently placed - just set back from a road known for its
continuous traffic flow - the hoardings for the scheme were in some ways as important as the work going on behind them.
Designed to capture the imagination of local residents, passing traffic, and passers-by, the outer layer of 1 Zero 4 dictates ‘Eco - small word, BIG Impact’, a successful teaser campaign focusing on LaROCK’s dedication to innovation and aspirational design in both residential and commercial schemes.
The hoarding not only served the successful purpose as an awareness campaign but assisted with the integration of the scheme into the neighbourhood. Very much a community project with keen support from planners and residents alike, the scheme illustrates for many not only the future of building but how modern architecture can successfully be intertwined into the vernacular and heritage.
“THE BUILDING’S INFRASTRUCTURE ITSELF GOES BEYOND SUSTAINABLE”
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