ARCHITECTURE
This project was put forward under Para 79 of the NPPF. It involved the design of an outstanding piece of architecture to form a residence for a family in Norfolk. The concept was derived directly from the site where it appears to emerge from the ground at the edge of the treeline. It thus formed a dramatic response to the landscape setting and a wonderful, light-filled living area with views across the surrounding countryside. The design included a ground source heat pump and solar panels to enable the house to have zero-carbon energy use.
LANDSCAPE
The undeveloped site is largely covered with an intensive non-native conifer plantation where limited light levels have prevented the establishment of vegetation. A series of mature trees within the remnants of historic field boundaries were landscape features of value and the starting point for design. Collectively the proposals sought to develop a landscape setting which reverses the incongruous plantation character to reinstate a native woodland that embodies a series of external spaces to compliment the house. Underpinning the landscape is a simple yet rich mix of enhancements achieved through habitat creation to ensure a fully holistic landscape and ecology design.