CONTACTS/ SUPPLIERS


ACCESS CONSULTANT Jane Simpson Access www.janesimpsonaccess.com


ARCHITECT Stead and Co www.steadandco.co.uk


TIMBER FRAME Buildakit


buildakit.co.uk ZINC ROOFING


inc and opper oo ng incandcopperroofi ng.com


RENDERERS


 lastering and endering Ltd jcplasteringandrendering.com


KITCHEN DESIGNER Gray Furniture Makers www.grayfurniture.co.uk


CONTRACTOR reen uilding ompany formerly reen uilding Store) greenbuildingcompany.uk


TECHNICAL DRAWINGS Ashley Bamford bamfordarchitectural.co.uk


ENERGY CONSULTANT Alan Clarke alan@arclarke.co.uk


MVHR, WINDOWS, DOORS & SOLAR 21egrees degrees.com


“The design of the stairs is just one of the things I wanted to build into the house to futureproof it for us,” says Jane. “The height of the step rises at mm, the half landing with seats to rest in, and room to install a stair lift are all details that help people if they want to live somewhere as they get older.” Upstairs, the master bedroom has an ensuite toilet and wetroom, and a walk-in dressing room too. There’s a second bedroom, a study, a bathroom and a plant room for MVHR equipment and storage of solar panel- generated electricity. The fi nished two-storey building has overall


fl oorspace upstairs and downstairs of m. Jane says: “Some people look at the house and ask if it’s four bedrooms. When I tell them it’s two and a study they say, is that all? Well, there’s only two of us and all the rooms are big enough to give us the space we really wanted.” utside, the exterior fi nish of the couple’s new home is an attractive mix of render and wood cladding, but it is the inc catslide roof that is the real stroke of genius, matching the style and gradient of the -built roof that sits atop the garageoffi ce building. t also has a practical Passivhaus function in managing sunshine as its lower side extends down to cover the south-facing veranda, providing protection against summer overheating (as well as shelter from rain).


“Using the orientation of the house is real Passivhaus principle,” says Jane. “During the summer we don’t overheat but in the winter the sun’s low enough to get right into the house so that we do gain heat through windows, which is what you want.” Jane and Paul are particularly delighted with their veranda, which was “absolutely essential” according to Jane. She says: “It was actually


incredibly costly, but we wanted to be able to sit outside even when it rains. We both enjoy being out there every day for a sense of wellbeing, whether birdwatching or enjoying our morning cup of tea.”


The couple decided against underfl oor heating but do have radiators. These can be heated by an air source heat pump or by an element in the water cylinder, with electricity generated by roof-mounted solar panels or drawn from the National Grid when needed. Monthly electricity bills have been reduced to a fraction of the  they used to pay before moving into their new home. In the end, construction costs were between , and ,, around , more than the original budget, says Jane. “The overspend is partly the general increase in construction costs and our choice in going for quality or extras. Just a few examples include the veranda, the inc roofi ng, thermally treated timber on the exterior to improve weather proofi ng, batteries to store the solar panel electricity and LED lighting throughout. It all adds up.”


“I also wanted a decent kitchen – my husband’s a chef, I love cooking too and we love feeding people. I think that the joy of having a decent kitchen and space to entertain friends was absolutely massive for us. The house is actually very bespoke – everything we’ve gone for has been quality because our aim was that at our age we don’t want to have to do anything again, except to possibly redecorate at some stage.” Saving hard for the past 15 years, the sale of their former property and a small mortgage have all helped to fund Jane and Paul’s new home. “Our son thinks we’re sad because we’ve not had lots of holidays like


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