Green home cast in concrete
Bylaws limit architect couple to one-storey structure, so they build into the ground
British architects and couple Deborah Saunt and David Hills faced an uphill battle when they set out to design what would become their home, Covert House.
The pair, principals of firm DSDHA in London, were up against the city’s sky-high real estate prices and strict planning codes. As well, they wanted to create a sustainable and cosy domicile — out of concrete. Happily, they managed to achieve all their dreams, and more, winning a prestigious British architectural award this year.
To afford the home, located in the desirable Clapham Old Town just minutes from Parliament Square and London’s West End, they bought apiece of land with a large garden in a conservation area, then partitioned the land, sold the original house and built their own home in the garden.
Density bylaws required they build no higher than one storey, so they embedded the lower floor in the earth and surrounded it with courtyards.
Barely visible from the outside, people inside have a view of the garden via two courtyards — and plenty of light. The lower floor is divided into smaller private bedroom and bathroom spaces, off an informal living-room area.
Sitting above, the ground floor has an open-plan design with the kitchen, dining and living-room areas flowing out to the pavilion-like exterior.
A white concrete staircase joins the two floors.
Sustainability was also a key component. The house, built into the earth and wrapped in a thick layer of insulation, has minimal heat loss. Triple-glazed windows also retain heat.
Other energy-saving features include a ventilation system that recycles heat to use for floor heating and hot water, rooftop solar panels, an air-source heat pump transferring heat into the house and a constant supply of fresh air drawn from outside.
Building materials included concrete, externally insulated render, a green roof, resin flooring and tripleglazed windows. Measuring 1,450 square feet, Covert House cost less than $1.8 million to build. Deborah Saunt answered a few questions about her home:
What were some of the challenges in building the home?
The development couldn’t harm the area’s character and had to meet all criteria set by the planning policies.
We were limited to a single-storey height — that’s why we decided to partially lower the structure within its garden plot. Another challenge was working with concrete, a beautiful material in the eyes of architects yet often considered harsh and inhuman.
We were keen to see if we could literally live with concrete and still enjoy it.
So far everyone who visits seems to be impressed at how domestic the house feels despite its rigour.
Can you see this kind of dwelling becoming popular with the rise of concern about sustainability?
Allowing for more well-designed houses to be built in existing private back land sites may be a way for people to develop the assets they own while also releasing some of their equity.
This solution might serve as a socially sustainable model to subtly densify residential areas and respond to the contemporary demand for more housing close to the city centre.
How do the windows and layout work to create light?
We’ve gone to great lengths to make sure the lower-floor rooms all have full height windows connecting to outside courtyard spaces with planting. This obviates the sense of feeling buried at lower levels on the ground.
On the upper level, we’ve maximized the light flowing into the rooms, neutralizing the sense of enclosure. In this way the threshold between inside and outside is blurred and you can be left wondering where vegetation and architecture merge. The mirrors also reflect sunlight, creating an ever-shifting sequence of reflections both internally and externally.
You and your husband live in the house. What’s that like?
The sense of domesticity has shifted today, largely because of the way networked technologies have infiltrated our lives. We want a sense of openness, warmth and good lighting, but we also want to perhaps withdraw and have private space.
Covert House allows for this compromise, removing redundant space like corridors and maximizing light, without compromising the comfort and privacy of each inhabitant.
The ground-floor living space and lower ground-floor informal living space have complementary characteristics, the one open and connected with nature, the other more introverted and better designed for watching movies or playing computer games.
Living in a concrete home feels surprisingly timeless, as if you’re in an ancient stone villa. We didn’t so much try to soften its feel, but rather to “visually edit” its elements — with mid-century modern furniture and pieces we’ve designed, bespoke concealed lighting and artworks to avoid overshadowing the home’s relationship with nature and the light within.
Is there anything you would change?
No, it really already exceeds our expectations, so we are very happy with what’s been achieved.