A striking eco-friendly home in the South Downs has won two prestigious architecture awards.
The Black Timber House, in Rodmell near Lewes, won the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) South East Regional Award and Small Project of the Year.
Designed by HAPA Architects, an architects' studio in Brighton, the building is on the site of a former tennis court and uses sustainable materials which have been sourced locally.
Energy consumption is reduced in the house by way of a heat pump and low-temperature under-floor heating.
It also uses solar panels and sturdy insulation.
Judges at RIBA said: “Externally, the material palette of charred timber and copper is deftly handled to achieve a modern and sensitive response that speaks to the edge-of-village context.
They added: “The Black Timber House is an exemplar of contextual modern design in a rural setting that also promotes low embodied carbon. More than this, though, it is a warm and welcoming family home designed with practicality in mind and built with considerable care and for this it should be commended.”
The house is in the South Downs National Park and a conservation area.
It sits at the far end of a single-track road and has views of rolling fields and the River Ouse beyond.
The Black Timber House was built so that the first floor provides a sheltering porch at the entrance and a verandah at the rear.
There is an open plan kitchen/dining/living room area which is based around the south-facing verandah, meaning it is sheltered from excessive glare but still gets “beautiful” sky views.
A picture window to the east “perfectly frames” the fields that form the village edge.
The central staircase, made of solid and veneered oak and ironwork is “flooded with light”.
Rafa Grosso-Macpherson, the South Downs’ design officer, said: “The scheme sets a new bar for development on the edge of a village, through thoughtful contextual architecture that demonstrates an exemplary use of timber and is enhanced by sensitive landscaping.”
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