Architect Duncan Barker-Brown said: "The house is highly insulated and doesn't require a lot of warming up. In the summer the solar panels provide hot water and in the winter warm water which is ideal for underfloor heating.
"There is also an energy efficient condensing gas boiler but it doesn't have to work very hard. The house is a good example of what can be done with a little bit of ingenuity. A lot of our work now is on little bits of land that nobody else wants."
The house was built in structurally insulated panels (SIPS) made offsite so the house could be constructed swiftly and at the same time making the building almost waterproof. The panels are made from recycled polyurethane and chipboard and are highly insulated.
The floors are made from solid oak and the wooden cladding on one side of the house is locally coppiced sweet-chestnut.
All the windows are double-glazed to keep in the heat and natural english lamb's wool was used for insulation in the floor and roof voids. Even the breathing paper in the loft is made from recycled plastic.
The house was designed to make maximum use of a small amount of space. Where possible the building materials were locally sourced so the travelling distances and deliveries for materials were cut down to a minimum.
By Paul Eccleston
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