We have secured planning consent for Paragraph 84 rural home in Foulsham, Norfolk. The low energy house will be built using hempcrete – an innovative material using locally grown hemp that offers thermal efficiency while avoiding the need for substantial concrete foundations.
The house is sited on a large woodland plot and has been conceived as a low-impact home that will allow the site to remain a valuable wildlife habitat. Locally sourced materials will be used as much as possible; the hemp is being harvested locally in West Norfolk, and timber from the woodland on site and nearby will be used as a roofing material and for external cladding. White clay extracted from the site will be used for internal flooring and plaster rendering for some internal walls.
The house is entered from the north, where two tall drums emphasise the curvaceous form of this elevation. The more private areas of the house – including bedrooms and retreat spaces – are arranged along the northern edge of the plan, which opens into a large open plan kitchen and living area overlooking large outdoor terraces and the landscape beyond.