Frequently Asked Questions...
  • General
  • What is the Lowhouse?
    The Lowhouse is a new eco home development, planned for a brownfield site near Harwich, in the NE corner of Essex.

    It’s a highly innovative design that incorporates two zero carbon homes and uses many of the best sustainable technologies available to the construction industry today.

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  • Why is it called the Lowhouse?

    The Lowhouse has been designed to blend into the local surroundings with a grass roof and earth berms on the north, east and west sides.

    In architecture, this is universally seen as the ultimate integration of house and landscape - a low visual impact, low carbon dwelling - hence the name: ‘The Lowhouse’.

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  • How big is the Lowhouse?
    Each of the two dwellings has three bedrooms, a study and an open plan kitchen/ living area, totalling a fairly modest internal floor area of 151sq m each.

    The highest point of the south façade of glass is about 5m high, letting in lots of daylight, deep into the building.

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  • What’s a grass roof?

    It’s a normal, waterproof, flattish roof with a relatively deep bed of soil spread over it, to encourage growth of grass and flowers.

    This has lots of advantages:
    • acts as camouflage for a building in a rural area
    • increases biodiversity by providing a home for plants and insects
    • provides a small amount of additional insulation and;
    • increases the building’s thermal mass.

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  • Where will the soil for the grass roof come from?
    Some of the soil will come from the excavation on site and George Thompson Ltd. has excess topsoil already available on Brook Farm less than 500m away.

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  • What’s thermal mass?
    When you leave a brick in the sun for an hour and then take it inside into a cool room, the brick stays warm, retaining the heat from the sun. Likewise, taking a cool brick out into the sunshine, the brick will take longer to heat up than for example a thin sheet of metal.

    This illustrates the principle of using heavy, dense materials such as concrete in a building, increasing its thermal mass. It means that less energy is used to heat the building up or cool it down, (technically, regulating internal ambient temperature) as and when the outside temperature fluctuates: night and day, or in winter and summer.

    The soil on the roof adds thermal mass and helps to reduce energy use making the Lowhouse a more sustainable home.

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  • What’s an earth berm?
    An earth berm is literally a pile of soil, in this case piled up against the side of a house. This ancient principle, similar to building a house into a hill, has many advantages in relation to sustainability:

    • reduces heat loss by increasing thermal mass
    • shelters the structure from the wind (another major cause of heat loss, especially when it’s blowing from the N or E)
    • increases biodiversity, as an extension of the grass roof
    • reduces visual impact by acting as camoflage for the walls

    In the development at Bucks Lane, the Lowhouse is orientated away from the main road, Stones Green Road and the earth berms surround the house from any angle it might be seen by the general public.

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  • Sustainability
  • What’s a zero carbon home?
    A zero carbon home is one with ‘zero net emissions of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from all energy use in the home’. The definition encompasses all energy use in the home (including energy for cooking, TVs, computers and other appliances) rather than just those energy uses that are currently part of building regulations (space heating, hot water, ventilation and lighting).

    It means that over the period of a year, there are no net carbon emissions resulting from the operation of the dwelling. This can be achieved through steps taken at the individual dwelling level or through site wide strategies. It will not be necessary for each dwelling to have its own microgeneration capacity where development level solutions would be more appropriate.

    The Lowhouse has achieved a True Zero Carbon rating when assessed against The Code for Sustainable Homes.

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  • What is The Code for Sustainable Homes?
    The Code is a set of criteria, enabling homes to be independently assessed as to how sustainable they are. It’s a government initiative, aiming to improve the quality of new developments and prepare constructors for a continuous process of tightening Building Regulations. The government’s target is to make all homes ‘zero carbon’ and to enforce The Code as Building Regulations by 2016.

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  • Is water use lower than an average house?
    Rainwater recycling helps to reduce the reliance on ‘mains’ water provision. The area is not served by mains drainage, so waste water treatment will be carried out on site with the provision of composting toilet facilities and a reed bed filtration system.
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  • Is a wind turbine planned for the site?
    The wind turbine company, Segen, is submitting a planning application separately. It will be a useful (but not essential) addition to the energy generation capability of the building.

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  • Why are there two types of toilet?
    The idea is to help occupants and their visitors experience and understand the value of a composting toilet whilst not forcing an unwanted or uncomfortable decision.
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  • What about recycling?
    Dedicated waste and recycling facilities are incorporated within the design. Even the bins are hidden from view, in the extended earth berm wings. The site is currently served by a weekly kerbside refuse collection as well.

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  • Visitors
  • How many visitors are expected on the site?
    Visitors will be discouraged, on grounds of sustainability. The website and information in the press pack will allow interested parties to learn about the Lowhouse without having to travel.

    If, on occasion, an individual or group will really benefit from a visit, we will strongly encourage and incentivise car sharing and use of public transport for visits to the site.

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  • Is the Lowhouse a demonstration home?
    No. We are anticipating significant interest from the local community and from around the UK, but will not be encouraging visitors.
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  • Will the homes be sold on the open market?
    No. The homes will not be sold – they will be kept by George Thompson Ltd. which is a family owned farm not a ‘developer’. The homes will provide additional accommodation for the family or workers on the farm.

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  • Who will facilitate the site visits?
    An internal expansion of the Brook Farm office will facilitate visits. This will also enable additional parking on the farm site, in the unlikely event this is required.

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  • Architecture
  • Why is there so much glass on the south side?
    The Lowhouse follows passive solar design principles. With massive insulation wrapped around the entire structure, the south face captures maximum sunlight, which means very little energy is used to heat the building, even in the winter months.

    This means heating and lighting bills are kept very low compared to a standard house.

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  • Why are there no skylights?
    As a governing principle, the Lowhouse has been designed without skylights. This is to prevent clumsy construction details at roof penetrations and to keep the grass free of visually obtrusive, man-made materials.

    Each dwelling has an internal courtyard to get fresh air and daylight to the rooms at the rear of the building. A small, water fountain gives an air conditioning effect to the air from the courtyard, a principle taken from ancient Islamic architecture.

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  • What's the gap between the two dwellings for?
    This is the service alley which gives much needed daylight and access to ventilation for the kitchen and utility rooms, and gives a secondary emergency exit (by some steps) to the rear of the building.

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  • Do Building Control have any issues?
    Means of escape and ventilation issues have been ironed out with Geoff Looser at Shore Engineering and we have agreed two minor changes to the room layout plan, which will enable the Lowhouse to pass Building Regulations. We will be making a full plans application with Geoff, that will ensure conformity to all current Building Regs.

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  • Highways
  • Will the access road need to be improved?
    Bucks Lane, although seemingly light in construction, has sustained over 55 years of use and abuse, with movements of large articulated lorries and very large agricultural equipment such as sugar beet harvesting machinery (up to 30 tonne loads) and chalk spreading machinery.

    In addition, the transition from Bucks Lane to Stones Green Rd will be tarmac’d to a minimum of 6m, as shown on the Site Layout Plan.

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  • How safe is the access to the main road?
    To the east, we will be removing the leylandi hedge (a non-indigenous plant), so visibility will be considerably enhanced as a result of the development. The kerb radius is over 11m, which far exceeds the recommended 6m required, for where a minor access road meets a major access road.

    To the west, there is over 40m of clear sightline at most times of the year already. The grass on the west verge will not exceed 600mm in height by controlled trimming, monitored on a monthly basis by George Thompson Ltd.. The west corner has a kerb radius of approx. 6m, as shown on the Site Layout Plan.

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  • Who will make sure the access remains safe ?
    George Thompson Ltd. will be responsible for the upkeep of the junction of Stones Green Road and Bucks Lane ensuring the required sightlines are kept clear of obstructions.

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  • Is there parking for occupants’ and visitors’ cars?
    Drawing no.14 shows the visitors’ parking area. It also shows the turning circle of an average car enabling visitors’ full manoeverability on the site.

    Each dwelling has a single parking space. This is visually sheltered by the extension of the earth bank on the east side. Each space will have an electric car charging facility.

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  • How does the Lowhouse reduce occupant’s car use?
    All occupants (now and in the future) will be bound by an agreement to have only one fossil fuelled car for personal and business use with its annual mileage restricted to 10,000 miles and will sign a written commitment to reduce its use to 6,000 miles per annum within 3 years.

    In addition, the large vegetable plot may help to reduce food miles of fruit and vegetables. A row of apple trees planted along the edge of Bucks Lane at the southern end of the site will aid this vision towards self sufficiency.

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  • Site Summary
  • What's a ‘brownfield’ site?
    In the UK, a ‘brownfield’ site is defined as "previously developed land" that has the potential for being redeveloped. It is often land that has been used for industrial purposes and is now derelict and possibly contaminated.

    The reclamation and reuse of brownfield sites is a core component of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy, integrating a wide range of economic, social and environmental objectives. Brownfield redevelopment not only cleans up environmental health hazards and eyesores, but it is also a catalyst for community regeneration.

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  • What services are on site already?
    The site has electricity, water and telecoms infrastructure, but the ethos of the project is to reduce reliance on infrastructure and will be a net exporter of energy.

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  • Has a soil investigation been carried out?
    John Bartley of Soil Consultants Ltd., Harwich, has completed a detailed soil investigation already:

    “We conclude that the overall level of contamination at this site is very low to negligible and that no special remedial measures are likely to be required by the planning authorities.”

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  • Biodiversity
  • Has a qualified ecologist surveyed the site?
    Aspect Ecology Ltd. have done a thorough ecological survey of all significant vegetation on site. Dan Simpson reports:

    “In summary, on the current evidence there appear to be no overriding ecological constraints to the development of the site. However, it is recommended that a specific mitigation strategy is drawn up at an appropriate stage for the eradication of Giant Hogweed, a Schedule 9 listed invasive plant.”

    By eradicating the giant hogweed, we will (by default) be improving the local ecology. To protect, add to and enhance the biodiversity of the site has been made a very high priority of the development.

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  • Will the trees be protected?
    We strongly believe that trees are of fundamental importance to the natural landscape of the area. No work will commence without the appropriate Tree Protection Barriers already in place.

    The structural engineer and soil consultant have tried to devise a ‘light’ structural solution, but a suspended piled slab maybe inevitable. However, this will ensure minimal (if any) damage to tree roots compared to a more typical foundation with continuous deep trenches.

    With regards to the oak to the west of the land, large agricultural lorries have been passing by it for the previous 55 years but we will ensure that a tree protection policy is in place, in combination with detailed working methods prior to piling rigs or concrete lorries arriving on site.

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  • Is the building in context with its' surroundings?
    We can’t make a building invisible! But our intention is to make a building of very low visual impact and the design remains in context in height with surrounding buildings.

    The earth-berming on three sides is representative of the most efficient of low energy designs, replicated worldwide.

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  • How will the nearby farmhouse be affected?
    Brook Farmhouse is 16.7m from the edge of the Bucks Lane site and about 28m from the Lowhouse. The Farmhouse has a substantial screening of mature hedging, large shrubs & trees between it and the development site.

    We believe that the Lowhouse development will be less damaging (structurally & visually) than an agricultural haulage yard.

    It will be in all parties’ interests to preserve the structural soundness of the Farmhouse (owned by the clients), preferably by reducing the number of large vehicle movements.

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  • What is the site’s planning history?
    There is no official definition on record. However, Deex Haulage has been operating from this site for over 55 years.

    Despite change of ownership in January 2007, the clients have allowed the continued use of the site as an industrial/ agricultural haulage yard, thereby defining the category of the site as 'Industrial'.

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  • Are any other outbuildings required?
    By incorporating a number of utility rooms for ‘dirty work’ and facilitating bike storage within each house, the design is specifically pre-empting the need for ancillary structures.

    To facilitate outside activities, the large front garden is visually sheltered by the earth berm wings.

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