Duncombe Cottage

A replacement dwelling on a beautiful site in Hampshire, now within the South Downs National Park.

Duncombe Cottage will be a highly insulated timber frame dwelling built over a masonry semi-basement taking advantage of the sloping site.

No space is wasted in a compact plan making full use of the floor area allowed by the planners. The imagery of an upturned boat is carried through to a consideration of the space inside akin to boat designer's.

Design involved local expertise from an early stage; ground investigations drove the building to its final resting place, like an eyrie amongst the woods, perched on a ridge of submerged chalk that allowed us to spend little on foundations.

Touchwood Homes are supplying and erecting the frame, windows, insulation and air barriers. Local tradesmen are undertaking all other aspects of the build, and the cedar cladding is sourced locally.

Performance as calculated will fall a little short of Passivhaus, due partly to the lack of available solar gain on this shaded, north-facing slope. The roof ridge is sufficiently unobstructed to pick up some solar thermal power.

Currently under construction, self-managed by our clients, and due for completion early in Summer of 2010. Energy performance will be reported in due course.