London-based studio SHH has designed this eco-friendly two story residence in the North of London. The 3,000 square foot home was designed for a couple and their two young children, and has won the International Design & Architecture Awards 2010 in the Eco House category.
North London Eco House by SHH:
“A new-build £1.1m house in North London for private clients, which seeks to go beyond the legal requirements for green and energy-saving technologies in new-build properties and to embody the best in stylish but eco-friendly contemporary housing solutions.
These included solar panels to heat water; a geo-thermal heat pump with boreholes, which uses the natural underground earth temperature both to heat and cool the house; a rainwater harvesting system, which reuses water for irrigation and WC flushing; improved building fabric U-values; energy-efficient lighting and a cedar terrace deck with sedum planting around the perimeter. The brief for the scheme was to create the ideal family home for a couple (with two young children), who had always wanted to have a home built from scratch to answer their precise needs. The external look of the house mimics the previous home to a degree in terms of the division of façades, so that it blends in well with the surrounding 1960s homes.The house also has a great duality, with the front approach as open and visible as possible, whilst the rear of the house is enclosed for maximum privacy and security, so that the client’s children can have a completely safe and bordered area to play in. The interior was to be open and light with clean lines and lots of storage, so that the house could be clutter-free. Open spaces were to enhance the flow of family life, integrating all activities and family members together.”
