Mulberry

Loughton, Essex

Organic Design Approach

An original 60s house on the edge of Epping Forest is replaced with a statement home that appears single storey from the front, whilst concealing 3 stories to the rear.

Overview

Initiated by the 17m drop from the front gate to the bottom of the garden, we were tasked with a requirement for a 10,000m2 replacement house in the Green Belt -where land levels were key.

We created a cascading footprint design, with the upper level the smallest of the 3 floors. The home settles back into the 'cut away' to be seen only from the rear garden, thus not impacting the Conservation Area in any way. Our want for a soft form nestles the house into its backdrop, concealing its true size.

The lowest floor contains the swimming pool complex, that due to its unregulated temperature needed to be separated by a twin structure to the main house. An original design that pushed us to gain the knowledge required to create an Operational Net Zero dwelling and the practicalities of building such a home.

In tandem with the house and further understanding of the existing site, we developed an innovative drainage system for the surface water. A system built up of ponds, that connect to the existing land drainage - lost under foliage for many

decades, until we uncovered it on the boundary. Negating mains drains usage.

Mulberry is a ground-breaking piece of architecture that proves that Net-Zero is an attainable standard on larger homes.

Operationally net zero despite its size of 10,000m2
Traditional materials detailed in a contemporary way, including red clay brick and Portland stone
Insulated concrete formwork (ICF) system, proving many sustainable and efficiency benefits over traditional building methods
Curved glazing to capture the West setting sun
99PV's on the flat roof that work with the Ground Source Heat Pumps located under the flatness of the original tennis court
Re-use of existing surface water system, built ahead of its time in the 60s