Understated eco

BEST GREEN HOME WINNER

HOMEOWNERS Nick and Annette Templar

PROJECT Eco self-build

LOCATION Worcestershire

BUILD SIZE 635m² (including garage)

BUILD ROUTE Main contractor and subcontractors

PLOT COST £165,000

BUILD COST £395,000

VALUE £880,000

MICHELLE GUY SAYS

 Nick and Annette’s eco self-build is a great example of how green living can be achieved without looking out of place in a suburban environment. The house’s eco credentials are at the heart of its design — subtle but robust enough to serve this well-proportioned family home.

Nestled at the back of a quiet residential cul-de-sac, Annette and Nick Templar’s detached contemporary home stands proud with a striking modern pergola ushering visitors into its fold. From the outside the mainly brick façade with cedar sections gives the impression that the building is a solid, comfortable family home with good proportions. And that’s true. But what sets it apart is a lot of what you can’t see, its green credentials. Understated and modest, there’s no sedum roof or obvious eco design. The Templars have wrapped sustainability into the fabric of the building — as well as high levels of floor and wall insulation, there’s an air source heat pump, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery ( MVHR) system, rainwater harvesting and triple glazed windows and doors with average U values of 0.6 W/m² K, too. Here, Nick shares the couple’s eco self-build journey…

SO, HOW DID YOUR SELF-BUILD JOURNEY START NICK?

I remember it clearly: it started with a conversation I had with a friend, who’s a civil engineer, on a cold November day back in