Elegant and Sustainable Self Build

After living in his home in Gloucestershire for 12 years, Richard Smith decided to seek planning permission to self build in the large surrounding grounds.

Positioned within an area of outstanding natural beauty, it was vital that the design helped to conserve and enhance the surrounding landscape.

He decided to opt for a package build route and was drawn towards Baufritz’s turnkey solution, which offered a simple contracted fixed price for the project. The timber frame was prefabricated offsite with closed wall and roof panels.

Once delivered, it was erected in just a few days, minimising site wastage and any potential disruption to neighbours.

“The most impressive part of the process was the speed at which it happened,” says Richard. “Very quickly the house was up, the roof was on and it was watertight.”

The two-storey family home and double garage uses the traditional materials that are prominent in nearby properties. This, alongside a simple, barn-style form, enables the house to fit comfortably within its setting, while reinforcing its subservient position relative to the adjacent listed buildings.

An elegant mix of stone and timber cladding looks striking alongside expansive floor-to-ceiling glazing. A small flat section of the roof features a sedum covering.

Inside, the rooms are generously proportioned, with large bedrooms upstairs and calm living spaces below. A double-height central hallway stairwell helps to fill the home with lots of natural light.

The structure was designed to create a healthy living environment with low running costs. All materials within the built fabric of the house, including the high-performance wood shaving insulation, are 100% biodegradable, enabling the highest standards of sustainability and energy efficiency within the building. The heating system is powered by renewable energy thanks to a ground source heat pump.

“For me, the Baufritz experience was excellent from start to finish,” says Richard.

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