Positive energy

Rob Elkins incorporated a suite of eco technology and sustainable principles when designing and building his family home

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We were firmly in love with life in Bristol,” says Rob Elkins, “but I was unhappy with my carbon footprint, from doing a lot of driving every day. Plus I wanted to cut out the commute and spend more time with my children.”Now, Rob and his wife Hannah live just a few steps from Rob’s work as creative director at architectural practice Artel31 in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Their new home is a contemporary sustainable design close to the town centre, but which has the feel of a rural retreat.

The site is located on a quiet through road close to a park and had planning permission for multiple homes when the owner, a national housebuilder, agreed to sell it on to Rob, his parents and his business partner. Reducing the number of houses on the site to just three, each built their family home, with Rob taking the middle plot. A five-bedroom home that appears modest and compact to the front, it is actually over 300m² and full of bold ideas and innovations around sustainability in both design and materials. Although each family designed their own home, they all agreed on overarching themes for the site.

A TOUCH OF SOUL

“We talked about elements such as materials,” says Rob. “All three homes are different, but they contain the natural elements of stone and wood.”

When he designed their home, Rob was led by the fact the south-facing garden is the least private part of the home and this is now enclosed by a significant rammed stone wall. Practicalities aside, Rob wanted to satisfy what he sees as the need for ‘soul’ in a new build. “It’s a positive manifestation of my life,” he explains. “The courtyard, for example, reminds me of times spent in Australia. Every day has a sense of history, of my life and my friends.”