This project by Wolveridge Architects makes use of passive design principles to deliver a six-star energy-rated house, completely off the grid. But while the project features plenty of clever green technology solutions – solar hot water, wood-fired hydronic heating, a multi-zone hot water tank – it was the deft and ecovative use of recycled materials that really impressed. Internal ply cladding was sourced from Pilkington window crates, the ceiling lining is made of the off-cuts from the milling of recycled hardwood beams for flooring, and the external cladding has likewise been made from recycled blackbutt. All of these contribute to lend the project a rich patina, but what is doubly remarkable is the way in which the potentially idiosyncratic qualities of these recycled materials have been crafted into a coherent whole.
