30
feature
doors, windows, glazing & hardware
let the light
Mohannad Altabbal
Environmentally conscious architect, Sow Space, was tasked with creating a bespoke home that was quick to construct, energy efficient and placed views across a floodplain meadow at the centre. Designing in Graphisoft’s BIM software Archicad, Sow Space included large expanses of glazing to showcase the views throughout the property and boost natural light. The design also included timber cladding and handmade brickwork to help harmonise the building with the natural landscape and the surrounding neighbourhood. The home includes three different-sized gables to break up the
overall visual mass of the building and work with the unusual width of the site. The central gable acts as the circulation core to the living quarters in the other two gables and provides an open view of the meadow as soon as the client steps into their home. Simon Chung, director at Sow Space, explained: “Walk-throughs using BIMx helped the clients to visualise the final outcome,
giving them confidence in our vision for their new home.” Passivhaus principles To meet the homeowner’s tight timescale, much of the building’s structure was built using prefabricated timber frame panels. Timber frame buildings are quick to build, but they also have other benefits: good thermal performance and air tightness. All the timber panels were manufactured offsite, which ensured a high-quality and accurate build that helped the project meet Passivhaus principles. In addition, to boost the energy efficiency, once the frames were installed on site, the contractors taped up the joints between the panels, which further improved the airtightness of the building. Simon added: “We worked to Passivhaus principles for this
project, but we wanted to take it a step further. Passivhaus focuses on energy performance, so commonly overlooks the impact that the building materials have on the environment. It was important
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