Carefully-positioned sustainable house shows how villages can avoid linear sprawl
RIBA East Midlands Award winner 2021
Sustainability Award (sponsored by Michelmersh), Building of the Year Award, Project Architect of the Year Award – Iris Papadatou (sponsored by Taylor Maxwell)
Featherstone Young for private client
Contract value: undisclosed
GIA: 347m2
Stonecrop is a highly sustainable newbuild house on a backland site on the edge of a village designated as a conservation area. It demonstrates how building carefully within villages can prevent linear sprawl. It is designed as two wings that can be used separately, with a courtyard at the hub creating a secluded retreat and cross ventilation to internal spaces. Already far surpassing the RIBA 2025 Climate Challenge target, POE shows the house is very close to meeting its 2030 target for net operational energy consumption. Each wing pitches its planted green roof in opposite directions, as if the field has been lifted up and the house inserted beneath. Internally a timber-clad ceiling follows the roofline to culminate in double-height living spaces overlooking the countryside.