Solar hemicycle residence near Henley in Arden, Warwickshire
SUMMARY: These are sketches for a one-off solar hemicycle residence for a private client on a site near
Carden King generated this design for our original client for the Ardenwood Solar Residences project shortly after that project won Planning Permission in 2005. The brief for accommodation was similar to the Ardenwood residences, but the site for this project did not require the house to be partially cut into the ground.
We completed sketches and a CAD model as shown here, but before a Planning Application could be made our client decided to pursue commercial uses for the site.
DETAIL: The hemicycle shape and orientation of this house, as at Ardenwood, was designed to maximise exposure to southern sun and derive a substantial proportion of heat input from passive solar gain (greenhouse effect). All but one of the five bedrooms is galleried over the lounge, which is a double-height space.
Cooling and shading were to be provided by a variety of natural means including:
- The large pool drawn up to the southern elevation of the house, providing a rudimentary form of air conditioning as well as enlivening the interior with reflected light.
- Extended roof overhangs.
- Metal mesh external roller blinds to many of the South elevation windows.
- High thermal capacity.
- Cross ventilation.
- Ground-cooled low-level ventilation inlets to the rear of the house. The ability to open dampers near the first floor ceiling of the stack in order to use it to exhaust warm air when necessary.
- On the very hottest days the ground-source heat pump system can be used in reverse to provide additional cooling.
The ground-source heat pump that was to provide heat inputs in addition to passive solar gain was to be powered by the solar arrays on the roof - visible on the 3D images. Underfloor heating was to be used throughout.
In order to keep the bulk of this design down and in order to roof what would be an awkward shape for a pitched roof we gave this house a flat roof. To further emphasise the link between the house and its site we drew a ramp of turf and grass up to the first floor on one side. The area under this ramp was to be used for storage in view of the fact that there would be a carport in lieu of a garage. Thus one of the two double first floor bedrooms would have a very direct link to the garden, while the other double bedroom at first floor level would have a balcony overlooking the garden.
The thick curved North wall was to incorporate considerable insulation and relatively small openings. The outer skin of this wall was to be of a deeply modelled material such as dry stone walling to encourage insect and thus bird life nearby.
The garden here, as at Ardenwood, is defined by a low semicircular wall which connects to the house on both sides. With this wall we intended to clearly define the part of the landscape that is 'inside' (and managed) and that which was 'outside' (and unmanaged).
Statistics:
- Radii of outer circle: 21.3metres
- Gross Internal heated Floor Area - Ground Floor: 195 square metres (2099 sq. ft.).
- Gross Internal heated Floor Area - First Floor: 123 square metres (1324 sq. ft.).
- Total Gross Internal heated Floor Area: 318 square metres (3423 sq. ft.).
- Number of bedrooms - 5.
- Number of bathrooms - 4.
- Approx. area of PV panels - 24 sq m. (16 no. 1.5m x 1m fixed panels on roof) This equates to generation of approx. 2.4 kWp - over half of an average household's electrical energy consumption.
- Approx. area of South-facing glazing (45 deg each side of South): 63 sq. m.
- Area of North-facing glazing (45 deg each side of North): 15 sq.m.
- This residence shown here (with the full circle garden) can be realised on a site with clear Southern exposure of a size approx 0.65 acres which is approx 60x45 metres (196x146 ft) in area.
- There are a number of variants to the design, including one which can be realised on a site with a clear Southern exposure of a size approx. 0.40 acres, which is approx 40x40 metres (133x133 ft) in area.