Architype

Bespoke Residential Living

Overview

Architype bring unprecedented expertise in developing one-off cost effective, sustainable, bespoke and easy to maintain homes for many families, retired couples and working professionals. We follow an in-depth consultation process, to understand the aims and aspirations of our clients, and to interpret these into workable design solutions that are simple to construct and finished to a high standard.

Below are some examples of house projects we have undertaken, they vary from one-off houses to small developments for private clients;

Liddiston – “Clematis Cottage”

A new two-storey family house, situated within the Malvern Hills, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Herefordshire.

Replacing a previous smaller cottage, the new building design is re-orientated to maximise the views toward Herefordshire, the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons. The house is split level with the lower level, partially dug into the slope, following the site contours. The upper level is rotated 90 degrees towards the south/south-west to maximise solar gain. Flat roofs keep the roof lines to a minimum.

We have designed the new building to achieve the Passivhaus energy standard, significantly reducing space heating requirements whilst improving the indoor air quality.

Quality of materials and local sourcing has driven the design throughout and is reflected in the simple, refined palette that reflects the surrounding vernacular, including UK grown douglas fir timber, local stone, and sedum green roofs. In the construction, concrete with high recycled content (GGBS), prefabricated timber cassettes, engineered timber frame, and recycled newspaper cellulose insulation are anticipated to be used.

The house has generous glazed areas looking out to the stunning views, bringing in natural light and solar gain, and keeping artificial lighting to a minimum.

Mathon House

This new bespoke single storey family house is situated within the Malvern Hills, in an Area of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB). The site is currently a builders’ yard with sheds and concrete areas. With the aim to restore the site, Architype’s design is a blend of traditional and contemporary, designed to Passivhaus, and using locally sourced, sympathetic materials.

An ‘L’ shaped plan allows daylight deeper into the plan, and a south facing, linear clerestory offers light and solar gains during the winter months. The single storey design achieves greater solar exposure, whilst ensuring privacy from neighbouring properties.

High quality, natural and locally sourced materials run through the design, including douglas fir timber and oak; cedar/sequoia shingles, quarried stone form the Brecon Beacons, and wild-flower grass meadow on flat and shallow pitch roofs.

Engineered glulam timber curtain walling, floor to ceiling glazing and clerestorey glazing, suggests a contemporary take on the local timber frame vernacular.

Our Passivhaus design achieves very high air-tightness and energy performance offering our clients a heating bill of less than £100 per annum.

St Katherine’s Field Housing Scheme, Cradley

The UK's first AECB Silver Standard Residential Development is situated within the village of Cradley, a few miles from the beautiful Malvern Hills. The development consists of seven houses ranging between 2 and 4 bedrooms, detached and semi-detached.

The houses are designed to Passivhaus principles, ensuring super energy efficient homes that will require substantially less energy to run, using Solar Thermal for hot water and MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery). Initial SAP results show an amazing score on the Energy Performance Certificate of 104.

The new properties are be fitted out to a very high specification, with super high quality materials and systems, including triple glazed high performance windows and doors, beautiful Cedar shingles, an intelligent heating and solar system, a ventilation system that creates a healthy environment, veneered internal doors, a fully fitted kitchen, a through coloured render that will never need painting, and pre-finished timber cladding products.

Aylestone Hill House

A bespoke two-storey 3 bedroom family house, situated in the Aylestone Hill area of Hereford. The site, located in a Conservation area, consists of a mature garden that adjoins a listed building, with four other properties in close proximity.

Our design is of a simple, contemporary style, which complements its listed neighbour rather than imitating it. Clean lines, white render, and flat roofs suggest classic modernism, with large expanses of glazing linking inside and out. A refined palette of quality materials includes dark powder coated aluminium window frames, brick and glass.

The new properties will be fitted out to a very high specification, with super high quality materials and systems, including triple glazed high performance windows and doors, beautiful Cedar shingles, an intelligent heating and solar system, a ventilation system that creates a healthy environment, veneered internal doors, a fully fitted kitchen, a through coloured render that will never need painting, and pre-finished timber cladding products.

The house is designed to achieve Passivhaus, with super high levels of insulation. Strict attention has been paid to orientation and detailing, and use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery to warm incoming air in the winter. The operational building should require only 15kWh/m2 per year for space heating.

Architype Team

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