meet or approach Passivhaus standard on a
grand scale: “The problem lies in the culture of
the industry, and in the skills required to build
this way. But I do think we will see a change for
the better over the next 10 years.”
The reward for his patience is a light and airy
modern home which from the outside, sits
beautifully in the village alongside much older
period properties built in traditional styles. What
Stephen calls “the dark times,” when he didn’t
have planning permission and had invested his
money in an expensive plot, seem far behind as
he sits in his kitchen overlooking the thriving
garden, landscaped by renowned Yorkshire
designer Sally Tierney.
“Sally had written a book on garden design
and I called her up to discuss the project,” he
says. “The garden was intended to fit with the
village. It’s not quite done yet – the wildflower
meadow to the side of the house has yet
be completed.”
Old Forge Cottage has three bedrooms plus
an office, which could be converted into a
further bedroom, and has been designed to
create a low-fuss, minimal maintenance project
for Stephen and Daisy. They have taken a
minimalist approach, using products that
contained no Formaldehyde, and sustainable
timber – the architect willingly incorporated
these into the specification.
A key reason for wanting a Passivhaus was to
save money on bills. “The heating and lighting
bills at my draughty old period house, with no
cavity wall insulation and no double glazing,
were £3,000 a year – this house should cost
nothing to run,” Stephen explains. “I think
this shows that Passivhaus and renewable
energy sources are the way forward. It is what
people want.”
And although Stephen says that he would
never buy a plot of land in the green belt
again – “this factor added over a year to my
project and complicated it considerably. I didn’t
have any problem with it being stone, and
having the cottagey look, but we were arguing
over the exact colour of the stone, the mortar,
the fascia, the guttering, to a ridiculous level of
detail” – he is very happy in his new home.
“I love it,” he says. “There is a real sense of
wellbeing living in a Passivhaus which is difficult
to explain to anyone who doesn’t. The fresh,
filtered air, the low requirement for heating – it
has not been on since January – and the quiet
provided by the insulation are lovely.”
And despite the “dark times”, he would
consider undertaking a self-build project again,
with the aim of realising his dream to build a
striking contemporary home next time. “Of
course, I have learned a lot over the past few
years,” he says. “The main thing is to plan it all
thoroughly in advance and be resilient. You have
to stick to it and accept there will be setbacks
and it will probably take longer than you
thought. Whilst it is by no means an impossible
task, it is not easy or for the faint-hearted. You
really do have to grit your teeth and stick at it.” CONTACTS/
SUPPLIERS
ARCHITECT/CERTIFIED
PASSIVHAUS DESIGNER
Eric Parks, Buckrose
Ecological Architects
http://www.buckrose.co.ukPLANNING CONSULTANT
Walton & Co
0113 245 8100CONTRACTOR
I & C Watts
http://www.icwatts.co.ukWINDOWS & DOORS
Green Building Store
01484 461705
greenbuildingstore.co.ukELECTRICAL WORK &
SECURITY SYSTEM
Steve Bowe, Guardian
Alarms
http://www.guardianalarms.co.ukSOLAR PV & BATTERY
STORAGE
Phil Roberts, Electric
Future
ef.energyAIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP
Duncan McCombie, YES
Energy Solutions
yesenergysolutions.co.ukKITCHEN
Kitchen Design House
http://www.designhouseuk.co.ukLANDSCAPE DESIGN
Sally Tierney MSGD, BSc
(Hons), Yorkshire Garden
Designer
yorkshiregardendesigner.co.ukSTEPHEN’S
ADVICE
“When you’re looking for a
plot you have to seek out all
the local estate agents and
you have to keep ringing
them or there’s a danger that
they will forget about you.
There are a lot of people
looking to do the same and
there’s a lot of competition
out there. It’s also important
to start talking to local
people, asking questions
about vacant land or things
for sale and making useful
contacts.”44www.sbhonline.co.uk july/august 2019