Clay Fields
26 affordable Houses in Elmswell, Suffolk
An RIBA competition-winning scheme completed for Orwell Housing Association, The Suffolk Preservation Society and Elmswell Parish Council.
Situated in a rural village in Suffolk the Three Gardens project combines sustainable strategies for construction, lifetime energy use and landscape. Rainwater is harvested and used to water gardens and flush toilets in the development. The homes are also fitted with a whole house ventilation system, minimising heat loss whilst being heated environmentally via a shared biomass boiler. Houses all have aspect to the south – minimising overshadowing and taking maximum advantage of passive solar gain.
The houses are constructed using a structural timber frame filled with 'Hemcrete', a sprayed mixture of lime and hemp. This innovative insulative material has the huge advantage of being not carbon neutral but carbon negative, locking in C02. The surface finishes are lime render and red cedar shingles and boards.
The arrangement of houses is non-hierarchical, with distinctive groupings of buildings. Cars can enter the site but not drive through; parking is provided near each group of houses. Curved walls define the extent of the private gardens and give a sense of privacy and enclosure.
A landscape of swales drains the site, recalling ancient field patterns and promoting diversity of habitat. Public space is a vital part of larger village life and is provided in the form of three low maintenance communal gardens including a wildflower meadow, allotments and an orchard of Suffolk apples alongside a larger public open space.
Images copyright Nick Kane and RHM
