We were commissioned by the Habitat First Group to design three and four bedroom new house types for the new Lower Mill Estate in Somerset. The design also features in their Silverlake, Dorset proposal. Both of these sites are a collection of elegant contemporary sustainable holiday homes set in a bucolic natural landscape setting.

Conceived as a building which is simple to understand, occupy and operate, the ‘Light-House’ is the first Habitat First Group design to meet Passivhaus standards and code level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Based on a traditional housing typology, it is a compact but flexible and adaptable home. Large areas of south-facing triple-glazed windows provide natural daylight deep into the house. A large canopy prevents overheating during the summer months while allowing the winter sun to heat up the double height living space. High level automatic opening roof lights provide natural ventilation through a ‘stack’ effect, helping to purge the house when temperatures outside are high.

Overall, this design demonstrates that it is possible to live sustainably and beautifully without resorting to complicated methods or systems.

It was a pleasure to work with the team at Tate + Co on the Light House project, achieving the first Passivhaus design for Habitat First Group, it was an honourable experience. We hope to work with them again in the near future.”

Red Paxton, Owner, Habitat First Group