Knockhill Farm

The brief

A modern, open-plan house with some traditional features, using Birlingstone throughout and contrasting Russwood Siberian larch cladding.

How we built it

The house wraps around a south-facing courtyard on three sides. The courtyard is sheltered from the wind and gets the most of the sun, and extensive glazing brings that light deep into the house.

We stick-built the timber frame on site, with an oak internal frame, on an insulated concrete raft foundation. The walls carry 200 mm of PU insulation, and triple-glazed Velfac windows and doors complete the envelope. The airtightness test came in at 0.5 air changes an hour, inside the Passivhaus limit of 0.6.

Inside and out

Three external balconies open off the upper rooms, the bathrooms are wet rooms, and a slate roof ties the house to its farm setting.

Inside, the oak frame is left exposed under vaulted ceilings, with pegged joints and trusses framing the glazed gables.