A House Within a Hill

Designed to fit into the hillside this bespoke farmhouse takes advantage of the wonderful views across the Cornish countryside whilst supporting the functional needs of the farmstead. Built partly below ground the design ensures that the house blends into the countryside without being too prominent within the landscape. Although totally supported by the Local Planning Authority, objections on the siting by the committee members still meant that planning approval had to be sought via the appeal system. Both the planning and design aspect of this project were successfully undertaken by Mike Bamforth of our South West Office.

The dwelling has been designed on an upside down basis with the main living accommodation on the first floor and the bedrooms on the ground floor. The construction is based on traditional rendered blockwork cavity walls with beam and block floors and a large retaining wall at the rear. The dwelling meets the stringent requirements of the Building Regulations and includes underfloor heating throughout, solar panels and a heat recovery system. Acorus were involved in all aspects of the construction including the appointment of the contractor and the project administration.