DECEMBER 2018 | 15
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
CLIFF-SIDE GEM OFFERS THE
BEST VIEW IN THE HOUSE
When Worcester based architect, Nick
Carroll was approached to design a
Passive House inspired home that would
be built on the very cliff face of the
Malvern Hills, he knew it would be a once
in a lifetime project for its owners.
Boasting over 18km of
sweeping hillside and wood-
land between Herefordshire and
Worcestershire, the Malvern Hills
is one of the most iconic land-
scapes of England’s countryside,
offering uninterrupted views as
far as the eye can see. With such
impressive views it’s not hard to
see why Worcester based architect,
Nick Carroll, was approached by
a client hoping to make the most
of them by building a family home
on the cliff face itself.
Aptly named ‘Old Hollow’, the
property became a completely
new challenge for homeowner,
Jonathan Flewers, who had unu-
sually never seen the plot before
purchasing. A top priority for
Jonathan was creating an energy
efficiency space, after being heavi-
ly influenced by Passive House de-
signs and the ecological principles
it implements in a property.
The newly constructed, three
storey property features an ‘upside
down’ design that maximises on
the sweeping views and abun-
dance of natural light of the
Malvern Hills, with living areas on
the top floor and bedrooms com-
prising the lower floors. Designed
to be spacious and family friendly,
the living areas on the third floor
are entirely open plan.
Speaking of the build, Nick
said: “Our brief was to design a
unique cliffside property that was
founded upon the principles of
Passive House design. To ensure
we achieved the best results I
took the client along to a Passive
House-training session. We used
materials such as stone, timber
and glass to achieve this. Most of
the stone we used was recycled
from the hill itself, which we ob-
tained during the digging process
when laying the foundations. All
products were chosen especially
for their thermal efficiency.”
The structure was insulated inter-
nally and externally with all walls,
floors and ceilings thermally up-
graded to achieve the greatest level
of thermal performance possible.
This was extended to the specifi-
cation of rooflights and windows
chosen, with Jonathan wanting to
maximise as much natural light
and ventilation into the property.
To support the energy efficiency
of the home, triple glazing was
specified as standard. Roof Maker’s
2m x 1m fixed flat rooflight was
specified to be installed above the
stairwell, with its triple glazing sup-
porting the energy efficient design
of the property.
Nick commented, “Roof Maker’s
fixed flat Rooflight was specified
for the feature stairwell to help
flood it with natural light. With a
U value of 0.8 on the triple glazing
combined with aluminium frames
that offered exceptional heat insu-
lation, the product was in keeping
with the build’s environmental
ethos.
“The rooflight was fitted on
a north facing hill, lighting the
stairwell from the roof, com-
plying with the Passive House
design principles. The recom-
mendation of the Fixed Flat
Rooflight prompted us to design
the staircase differently so the
natural light would fill the entire
area.”
In total the project took three
years to complete, with Nick and
Jonathan working closely together
throughout the entire process to
create a unique family home. From
its upside-down approach, to the
layout in the cliff side and the
ecological design principles, Old
Hollow is a one of a kind property
that will be part of the Flewers
family for years to come.
www.roof-maker.com