Mulberry has been designed as a ‘one-off’, demonstrating outstanding design . The front, north facing entrance appears single storey, of minimal design and openings with a hidden entrance for intrigue. The true scale and ingenuity of the house reveals itself when you walk through the front door. The generous entrance hall and stair core, as well as the open plan living and dining spaces, benefit from floor to ceiling triple glazed curved glass openings exemplifying the breath-taking views of the beautifully landscaped rear garden .  Due to the steep contours of the site, the rear elevation results in maintaining the appearance of a two-storey dwelling with a hidden lower ground floor. The organic curved form with contemporary detailing of traditional materials, reduces the visible mass of the building which is further hidden due to the existing mature landscaping, which is further enhanced with native planting.

The terrain at the bottom of the site is especially difficult and is currently unused by the client. As part of the overall design, a subterranean Pavilion with swimming pool is located underneath the current tennis court which will be replaced with soft landscaping to enhance biodiversity. The Pavilion is open on two sides and will be an oasis secluded from civilisation, to sit, relax and enjoy the ponds and wider landscape.

The operationally Net-Zero sustainable design was achieved by our expert design team including Qoda, maximising the site’s credentials, bringing forward this ambitious sustainable home.

The design works hard with technology, utilising the energy of the sun, the water and the earth. This synergy is facilitated by vertical ground and air source heat pumps generate heat to supply the house and pavilion with space heating, passive cooling, and domestic hot water. The heating and cooling, as well as electric vehicle charging, will be powered by electricity generated via 100 solar panels. Sustainable drainage systems include rainwater harvesting, sewage treatment plant, and water ponds formed , providing a betterment to existing drainage conditions. The super structure will be constructed in reinforced in situ concrete with all external walls using a proprietary Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) system. This construction method has many sustainable and efficiency benefits to achieve Net-Zero. It will also result in a quicker construction time due to offsite manufacturing and on-site assembly, reducing waste and dust pollution. The lightweight formwork is delivered to site in smaller, greener vehicles, further reducing the projects embodied carbon footprint.

Mulberry is a ground-breaking piece of architecture. A truly special home for our clients that proves that Net-Zero is an attainable standard. We hope it will the first of many and inspire future homes to excel to this level of architecture. We love it!