This project will provide a new studio, gallery and flat for a local potter in Wivenhoe. The site is located in a conservation area, close to the historic quay and will form an important hub for local artists.

We set out to create a strikingly modern and visually attractive, low energy home and studio for the client that adds real quality to the architecture of this road without over dominating the neighbouring buildings.

The design has been carefully modelled to suit the shape of the site and form an interesting composition of well-detailed, crisp elements.

The building will use high quality and sustainable materials and showcase innovative sustainable construction methods. Existing foundations on this site will be re-used and the new all-timber design will achieve Level 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

The walls of this timber super structure will be clad externally in a white, maintenance free, acrylic render on the ground floor and stair tower whilst upper floor walls will be clad in western red cedar boarding in natural finish.

The timber wall cassettes will be pre-insulated using Hempcrete, a natural product to give excellent insulation with high thermal mass to help spaces inside the building to remain cool in summer and warm in winter.

High performance triple glazed windows will create a super insulated air tight envelope. A ‘whole-house’ ventilation system will be installed through the building to supply fresh air to all rooms. A system of air ducts will extract stale air from the rooms, replenished with fresh air supplied via a high efficiency heat exchanger. The pottery kilns will be powered by electricity and 90% of the waste heat would be recovered through this ventilation system.