It's the house that decades of design and centuries of building have been leading up to... but it takes its inspiration from the Middle Ages.
Strange as it may sound, this home of the future, designed for his family by architect Richard Hawkes, is wedded to the past.
Its very framework is based on a medieval design, known as timbrel vaulting, which can be seen in the dome-shaped roof.First used in 1382 in Spain, this method uses thin bricks to create a lightweight,
durable building.
The arch is less than 5in thick, so wastes no material. Gravel and soil on top, in which flowers will be planted, help weigh the self-supporting frame down, stabilising it.
Not only does the structure do away with the need for materials such as concrete, which are energy intensive to make, it also allows the building to retain heat.
And in his quest to save power, Mr Hawkes again found traditional methods were best.
He used locally-sourced, old-fashioned clay tiles, in place of brick, as they were more energy efficient.
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