Too often in the urban building industry nature is seen as an impediment to building. Lots are razed of all living things, precious topsoil is removed, and lots are excavated to build the largest and cheapest homes possible. After the house is built, soil is trucked back in and ornamentals shrubs and trees are replanted. The modern building process completely destroys the natural ecology of the land.
Imagine a home designed to fit in with the natural features of a property. Or better yet, imagine a home built to function like a tree. We caught up with British author and designer Will Anderson to talk about his recently completed project - The Tree House built in Clapham, South London.
Tell us a bit about your eco-house.
Tree House is an aesthetic and ecological response to the mature sycamore that dominates the plot. The form and details of the house evoke the tree in a variety of ways. The staircase that curves up the front of the house is clad in durable timber, creating a trunk-like form. In the big open-plan room at the top of the house, exposed branch-like trusses hold up the roof. The windows on the front elevation suggest a rising movement of light piercing a canopy. Wood and foliage are intimately felt throughout the building.
Technically the house is designed, as far as possible, to 'work like a tree'. Trees are remarkable sustainable structures. They are perfectly
adapted to the natural environment in which they flourish, coping admirably with heat, cold and desiccation. They are brilliantly engineered to withstand severe mechanical stress. They are powered entirely by solar energy. They are built from beautiful, sustainable materials. They produce no harmful waste and turn all their waste products into valuable nutrients. They are perfectly integrated into the wider ecosystem and support a diversity of flora and fauna.
This is the vision for Tree House. Rather than beginning with standard practice and aiming to do better, the design brief was to begin with the best possible practice and seek to meet it. Begin with compromises and more will follow; begin with a strong vision and compromises are much easier to overcome.
Trees are symbols of life and abundance, enhancing our quality of life wherever we live. Tree House was designed not only to have the highest possible environmental specification but also to be a joy to live in.
What are some of the 'green' features?
It's an energy self-sufficient home, a net exporter of power to the grid. This is achieved by matching very low energy demand to on-site generation with PVs and a heat pump. (It's an all-electric house)
What are some of the energy saving features?
Super-insulated, air-tight (to Canadian specification - we had to import the detailing because there is no tradition of building airtight buildings in Britain), lots of daylight, low energy lights and appliances.
How big is the house?
The house has a floor area of 120m2.
We had to work with the tree but rather than treating it as a problem, it became our inspiration.
Why did you decide to build a 'tree house'?
We had to work with the tree but rather than treating it as a problem, it became our inspiration. The room at the top of the house that opens on to a balcony, effectively in the canopy of the tree, is a delight.
Is this your dream house? Or are there more sustainable homes in the future?
Yes, it's a dream home. But never say never - next time I would build something smaller and simpler but this was the right house for a difficult urban site.
Is an eco-house more expensive to build?
It was expensive because we had to pile the foundations but it was important to us to protect the tree. The front garden, below the tree, has been developed as a wildlife garden with a native hedgerow, berrying shrubs, a large woodpile and porous paving through which wild flowers grow.
This was an expensive house to build, principally because everything about it is bespoke, not because of its ecological specification though 30m2 of photovoltaics do not come cheap. Total cost including land was UKP500,000 (US$750,000) less than the sale value of surrounding properties.
Is an eco-house more time-consuming to build?
It took ages to build - 18 months, plus another 6 finishing the interior. Unusual technology, a staircase built around tree trunks, reclaimed materials. You name it - it all slows you down.
What were some of the challenges of building green?
The biggest challenge was working out the best approach to achieving energy self-sufficiency. How far can you reduce demand? What are the best options for on-site renewable technology? How do you put it all together most effectively and economically?
What were the highlights of building green?
If you approach the project holistically, a green specification helps focus all your choices and decisions. You end up with a building that has integrity - everything has been done for a reason that looks beyond the immediate effect (though these effects work out well too).
Would you recommend building an eco-house to others?
It's the only way! There are low cost, passive approaches as well as the high cost, active-technology approach that we took.
Is it important to have building experience before tackling a project like this?
Well, I didn't have any! It helps of course. Though as a rookie, my ambition was undimmed by experience of the building industry that, in retrospect, I am very glad of.
You have a new book out, tell us about a bit about it.
The book, Diary of an Eco-builder, was written across the 18 months of the build. It is not just a diary - it explores all the ideas behind the project and explains all (or most) of the issues of eco-building in an accessible and entertaining way.
There's so much interest - but it's still hard to find persuasive first-hand accounts of how it's done.
Visit: http://www.treehouseclapham.org.uk/
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