Executive Summary

The project at Battle consisted of a two-storey dwelling with a total floor area of approx. 500m2 plus outdoor swimming pool. The lower ground floor (300m2) was designed with five bedrooms en-suite with changing room, gym utility room and garage. The upper ground floor (200m2) was designed as the main living area with lounge, family room, kitchen/walk in larder and games room.

Thermohouse were contracted to supply and install the basement retaining walls, external walls, internal load bearing walls, ThermoFloor panels to the concrete intermediate floor and finally the ThermoRoof passive roofing panels to complete the low energy, airtight thermal envelope of the structure. Thermohouse also provided the ICF formwork to the construction of the swimming pool.

Challenges

This challenging project in Battle was to be built on a sloping site. From the front elevation facing the road, the house would appear to be a one storey bungalow. However, once at the rear of the house, a second storey would emerge.

This entire upper ground floor would be open plan, and was designed to have has a vaulted ceiling.

The main window in the family room/kitchen would have a 15m long window, weighing approx. 2500kg, overlooking the patio area and swimming pool and the lounge has four no. 3.0m high windows.

How Thermohouse Helped

The subterranean level had to be built with ICF retaining walls so that the sides hidden in the hill could take the pressure of the soil backfilled against it.

With the benefit of the ThermoRoof insulated roofing panels, we could achieve the desired vaulted ceiling on the upper floor, providing a very impressive living environment.

The vast glazing spans were supported by the ICF walls surrounding them. The lintels above the windows were engineered to encase a large reinforced concrete beam within the ICF core.