ZERO CARBON HOUSE

Set on a south facing hillside near Pensilva, Cornwall, this project overlooks mature woodland and wide valley views across the surrounding landscape. The existing house on the site could not realistically be upgraded, creating the opportunity to design a new sustainable home that responded more carefully to both the setting and the clients’ environmental ambitions.

The homeowners wanted a contemporary home that generated its own energy, used local materials and felt deeply connected to the landscape around it. With backgrounds in art and film, the project became a collaboration between architecture, craftsmanship and nature, resulting in a home designed to perform efficiently while sitting comfortably within its woodland setting.

As experienced Architects Cornwall, we create sustainable contemporary homes across Cornwall that combine low energy design, natural materials and architecture shaped around landscape and lifestyle.

For Mr and Mrs Hill, the build was as demanding as it was personal.  The land dropped steeply from the road, with barely enough space to move machinery or store materials.  They worked through heavy rain and strong winds, often timing deliveries and stages around the weather.  Each part of the process needed precision to stop the slope from shifting or the ground from washing out.  Managing the project themselves meant long days on site, solving problems as they came up and keeping everything safe and steady.  It tested their patience, but their care and persistence kept the build moving forward.

For them, the design was about living closely with the place they already knew so well.  The new house follows the slope, arranged so each space feels connected without disturbing the woodland around it.  From the road, it appears as a modest form, while the lower level opens to the trees and sunlight. The south-facing living areas draw in light and warmth.

Quieter rooms are set into the ground, keeping an even temperature through the year.  Their studio and workshop were planned alongside the main rooms, so daily life and creative work could happen side by side.

Douglas fir from nearby woodland became the frame, and granite from Bodmin Moor was used for the retaining walls.  These materials carried their own stories, chosen not just for strength but for where they came from and how they felt to use.

The finished home is more than a rebuild.  It runs efficiently, stays balanced through the seasons, and feels like it was always meant to be here.  Every room gets a daily light, which is changing through the day, while the woodland frames every view.  The spaces they use most, such as the living room, kitchen, and studio, follow the rhythm of their life and work.  Systems run in the background, keeping warmth in and air fresh without effort. Energy from the sun and heat from timber gathered on their own land keep the house self-sufficient.  What began as a small, failing house has become a home that produces its own energy, celebrates its setting, and reflects the care of the people who built it.

The split level layout helps the house sit neatly into the sloping ground with little disturbance.  Large windows and sliding doors open the living space to the woods, bringing the outdoors close. Inside, the open plan layout feels spacious and full of light.  The soft, neutral colours match the tones of the woodland, which makes the house blend into the landscape around it.

The house was built with care for the environment. It uses reclaimed sheep’s wool for insulation, solar panels for energy, and a system that keeps warmth in during winter.  The roof is covered with Cornish grown cedar shingles, and the nearby woodland is managed to protect local wildlife.

• Green Apple Award Silver
• RICS South West Highly Commended
• Cornish Buildings Group Commendation