“ Waking up and going about daily life in The Gardeners House is full of pinch me moments. It brings us so much joy that all our views are of greenery and mature woodland; our continuous interaction with nature promotes our wellbeing. Living here feels like being nestled away in a forest. Inside, we benefit from the incredible flow of the house and its lightness and brightness. The interior spaces and design are peaceful, natural and harmonious with incredible synergy between the natural world outside and the inner sanctuary of our home. It’s wonderous to me that the architecture and sustainable technologies of The Gardeners House are so ambitious, noteworthy and cutting edge and yet our home is so deliberately and firmly grounded in its surroundings” Lucy Lamb, homeowner

On first visit the site was overgrown with brambles and almost impassable. There were changing levels and areas of the site were very steep and would require design and construction problem solving. But, after a long search for a site, The Fold could see the potential for a very special, unique home.

The concepts and themes which underpin The Gardeners House are; the interplay of light and shade, maximising dynamic views, seamless inside/outside living and an ongoing, physical relationship for inhabitants with the natural world, sustainable technologies and hand crafted construction. The brief, in short, was a luxury, eco home.

In pursuit of that brief, as well as architecture that enhances the relationship with natural world, The Gardeners House fully maximises sustainable technologies including;

• energy efficient SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels) construction

• roof located solar panels

• low carbon, efficient air source heat pump (ASHP) for heating

• MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) ventilation system

• rainwater harvesting system - used for washing machine and toilets

• ground floor concrete slab used as storage heater

• fully recyclable, low maintenance, energy efficient standing seam metal roof

• partial green roof planted with wildflowers

• natural timber cladding