Healthy home's

Creating a healthy home involves using natural materials to reduce toxins, choosing renewable technologies and bringing in light to improve wellbeing — as these UK projects demonstrate

- DEBBIE JEFFERY

Built for good health

Skyhouse is a carbon-neutral new home, which was prefabricated in Germany by Baufritz (UK) Ltd (baufritz.co.uk) and designed with health and wellbeing in mind. All materials used by Baufritz are natural, healthy and not harmful to homeowners or the environment — right down to paints and floor finishes.

‘Skyhouse being a biologically healthy home means the world to me, especially because it supports my health, explains owner, Amy Burgess.

As the house is partially earth sheltered, with the ground floor nestled two metres into the hillside, light pollution is reduced and geothermal heat is passively stored within the walls to lower energy consumption. Harvested rainwater is used where possible to service WCs, laundry and garden irrigation, and additional green initiatives include a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system, triple glazing and also LED lighting throughout.

Natural beauty

Built in the shadow of the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire, this stunning new home with an annexe was designed by Roderick James Architects (roderickjamesarchitects.com) to evoke the curved roofs of Dutch barns and other simple rural buildings found in the area. The brick-walled former dairy and stable has been converted into a self-contained annexe/home office, and the main house was constructed from natural breathable materials, with cellulose insulation to the walls and roof and a complete oak glulam structural frame. Large sliding external doors and full-height picture windows flood the interior with natural daylight.