Residential Development in Kent, England, UK

House in Ulcombe, Kent 2009 Eldridge Smerin In 2007, Eldridge Smerin were commissioned to design a family house on an eleven acre site in Kent using off-site prefabrication to minimize conventional site labour reducing construction time and increasing finished quality. Planning consent to replace the existing bungalow was obtained in seven weeks and the house was completed on site within 26 weeks. Within the constraints of a low budget, Eldridge Smerin developed a bespoke kit-house, the construction of which was successfully managed by the owner. It was the architect’s intention to demonstrate that good contemporary design is affordable and that design and material quality need not be compromised. The house is an exemplar of ecological design incorporating a photovoltaic array, solar water heating panels, planted green roofs, pool heat sump and heat pumps and was the first major project in the UK to incorporate heated triple-glazed facades as the principle form of space heating. House in Ulcombe images / information from Eldridge Smerin