09
NIMBUS PROJECT
Paragraph 55 dwelling of outstanding and innovative design
Location
Cornwall
Disciplines
Paragraph 55 planning application.
Architectural design.
Biodiversity study.
Carbon negativity study.
Historical vernacular reference.
Water harvesting.
Client
Private
Status
In progress
Simple innovation that has an intellectual elegance.
The ground floor follows the contours of the terrain and the upper floor responds to solar orientation. This simple design strategy creates a striking and individual appearance that conceals the complex, practical and energy producing features that generate a carbon negative building.
The construction materials of natural stone and corrugated iron reflect the mining heritage that was once so prevalent in the area. Water from the rain bearing Nimbus clouds is harvested for domestic and ecological use in a visually attractive manner.
Photovoltaic and solar thermal panels are designed into the building from the outset and hidden from view. The energy produced will not only power the building but also the motor vehicles; this contemporaneous feature will hopefully become the norm in the future.
GALLERY
Click any image to zoom (mobile phones may not offer a larger view).
Architectural Form
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- Striking geometric forms orientated to encourage interaction with the external environment from varying levels and access points. The existing trees retained and integrated into the overall design anchor and assimilate the building into the landscape with an established ambience. The twist and pedestal characteristics of the design are clearly and prominently portrayed.
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- Concrete steps cantilevered from the wall provide a sculpted practical external pedestrian access and launders integrated into the design form a pathway for the water. The ‘twist’ formed by the differing orientation of the storeys is striking in this view as is the cantilevered bris soleil canopy and terrace.
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- The setting of the building in relation to the topography of the ground and the existing boundary treatment can be clearly seen in this illustration.
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- Entrance atrium.
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- Internal view looking west.
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- Internal view looking east.
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- Internal view looking south.
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- Atrium view 1.
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- Atrium view 2.
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- Office area.
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- Water distribution.
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- Launder and runnel mining heritage features.
Elevations
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- West elevation.
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- East elevation.
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- North elevation.
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- South elevation.
Design Innovation
HEAT STORE
Retaining walls are not uncommon in Cornwall owing to its corrugated terrain and the need to provide level access surfaces. Invariably there is a structural mass involved in any retaining wall design and in this instance, by the addition of insulation, it is turned into a thermal store; this simple innovation of using one constructional element for dual purposes could easily be repeated and is well suited to the Cornish terrain and future energy requirements. The diagrams below indicate the position of the thermal store within the building.
WATER SOURCE
Water is available on the site from two main sources; rainfall captured on the roofs and from a borehole that would be positioned towards the northern side of the site. The collection of water from the roof will be divided into two parts:
Roof A
This is the area of roof housing the PV panels which will have a polymeric waterproof membrane that can drain rainwater directly into a header tank via a filter. The header tank will be housed below ground at the rear of the garage where the ground is higher and would naturally form a head of water; the header tank would not be visible but would be easily accessible for maintenance purposes. The water from roof A would be used for flushing of toilets and washing machines etc.
Roof B
This the green roof area which will drain directly into the pond adjacent to the dwelling which will then run into the lower pond via the runnel. The pond adjacent to the house will provide a head of water that can be used for watering of plants.
Borehole
Local borehole engineers have established that fresh water would be available in sufficient quantities all year round to provide domestic potable needs and to top up the roof water header talk and ponds during times of drought or low rainfall.
Site context and local distinctiveness
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- The proposed subdivision of the existing garden would provide garden sizes commensurate with the current existing dwellings within the hamlet. The proposal site having it’s own treed and hedged boundaries together with it’s own existing entrance would not have a detrimental effect on the existing dwelling and it’s garden setting due to the physical nature of the current division.
Constraints and opportunities
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- Site constraints and opportunities.
Design Strategy
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- Positioning of the building along the contours to avoid excessive groundworks, outside of projected shadow lines of existing vegetation.
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- Use the existing topography to create an additional storey and create a pedestal effect. Step the additional storey back to create a terrace.
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- Treat the storeys as individual elements, providing a twist within the orientation of the first floor for optimal solar gain.
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- Concept generation: Integrating the design drivers. Combining the simple forms to create a striking and individual appearance also enables a centralised dynamic vertical shaft to be positioned as an entrance atrium.
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- Concept design: Entrance atrium. Creation of a centralised, dynamic vertical shaft would act as an entrance atrium, provide passive ventilation, house the stairs and a future llift and allow sunlight into the northern entrance.
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- Concept design: Ground floor spatial arrangement.
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- Concept design: Lower ground floor spatial arrangement.
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- Concept design: Initial concepts for the capture, retention and distribution of water around the site were to fuse the abundant water on site.
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- PV panels can be sloped at the optimum angle for energy gain yet positioned out of sight behind a parapet wall. Evacuated solar thermal panels can operate efficiently when laid flat and will not be in direct view. The wood burning stove can be positioned close to the log store.
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- Landscaping general arrangement.
