Architect Richard Hawkes‘ Crossway passive house (no conventional heating system needed) has both a great look and a ton of eco street cred – it’s one of the first certified passive homes in the UK. The 4-bedroom, 3,000 sq ft home, which was designed to integrate into the surrounding English countryside, Contains a preponderance of local materials, including local clay bricks and locally-grown cedar siding.
Spanning 20m and 8.5m high the home’s striking, vaulted green roof is seeded with meadow plants from nearby Marden nature reserve. The 26,000 clay tiles of the archway naturally regulate humidity and their large thermal mass regulates temperature providing healthy, airy internal space. Heat recovery ventilation, triple glazing and high insulation minimize the energy needs of the house. Crossway’s southern exposure maximizes its views while practically harnessing the sun for light and heat through passive solar gain.
The home’s construction also features an abundance of recycled materials. Newspapers, car tires and crushed bottles used in the lime mortar and in the polished ground floor. Advanced energy systems generate electricity and store thermal energy, while on-site waste treatment and rainwater harvesting are also featured. A monitoring system relays building performance data to Cambridge University for ongoing research.
