ROOF
The design of the roof allows for a “lightness of touch” and means the facade facing south can have taller and higher windows
accommodation, if needed. “A low-energy passive house with its super- insulated design should also provide some reassurance around heating bills, keeping them to a minimum. That’s important to a retiree like Joan who is living on a budget. And it goes hand in hand with her very strong desire to cut her carbon footprint.” The striking roof design, which could also be described as being upside-down, was not something on Joan’s original wishlist. She reveals: “I knew what I wanted in a lot of areas but on this I wasn’t dogmatic, I had an open mind – it sort of happened along the way, working in partnership with the architect. I liked the sketches I was shown and, again, because I’m a fan of Grand Designs I’m conditioned to considering new ideas and was already persuaded that different can work.” Ian explains: “Working with Joan we looked at a number of different roof options. The thinking behind the final shape was to achieve a lightness of touch and its arrangement means the facade facing south can have taller and higher windows. A normal pitched roof would have meant lower windows, which would have presented planning issues around overlooking the neighbouring bungalows. So, the windows on the south side
february/march 2020
“I’ve spent hours and hours looking into these ecological and sustainability issues – both to do it properly and to stay within my budget – but I enjoyed doing it.”
first floor are quite high, almost above eye line, which means you can't look down into the neighbours’ properties. “We drew inspiration from award-winning Australian architect Glenn Murcutt – he often designs buildings in big landscapes that touch the earth lightly and have very expressive roofs. We’ve admired his work for many years.” He
www.sbhonline.co.uk 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
