Conran & Partners are designing for a highly environmentally responsible family home, to be known as Groveside, in the grounds of a former school (Heron’s Ghyll) near Forest Row in Sussex.

The house expresses the strong horizontals found in the walls and hedges of the existing garden, whilst built from a palette of high quality traditional materials. The first floor takes a linear form spanning across the lower level from east to west and is intended to act as an acoustic barrier to the garden from the noise generated by the nearby A26.

In order to minimise the impact on the garden the building is positioned in the same location as a former cottage, none of the existing trees to the north need to be removed, leaving a screen of trees and shrubs intact.

Copper is used for the roof and walls of the first floor, chosen for its timeless quality and its ability to weather naturally with time. Glazing is predominantly orientated toward the garden. Walls at ground floor level are constructed from high efficiency thermal fill material, and are covered with a lime based render with a chalky off-white colour. Glass fins form a privacy screen on the north elevation of the entrance hall. Timber louvres act as a solar screen on the gallery between the bedrooms.