New Build

An Eco Settlement

This case study is from SelfBuild & Design September 2020 | Buy this issue | Subscribe

On a sensitive site containing an ancient monument, Sunderland-based architect Rick Marsden has designed and built eight eco homes using insulated concrete formwork and living roofs.

Story: Louise Parkin Photography: Kevin Gibson

In Brief

A cluster of striking eco houses has been built on a sensitive site bordering an ancient Bronze Age settlement close to the Sunderland coast, creating a satisfying juxtaposition between the ancient and cutting-edge contemporary. Designed and built by architect Rick Marsden, who has earmarked one of these homes for his own family, the eight highly energy-efficient homes encompass three different designs, all with similar green credentials.

Built using insulated concrete formwork (ICF), the homes which nestle into the hillside, are clad in Siberian larch and rustic quartz slips.

Clad in Siberian larch and quartz stone slips, the contemporary home is built into the hillside using insulated concrete formwork, with green roofs and a living terrace.

High levels of insulation, air source heat pumps, and living green roofs that sit low in the landscape, are just some of the eco credentials of the houses which have low running costs, minimal visual impact and offer comfortable internal temperatures.

Ecological, environmental and archaeological surveys were required, during which evidence of bats was discovered. This meant that bat boxes had to be installed for each property.

“There was some local opposition to development of the land to begin with, but by building just eight homes around the Bronze Age settlement, we were able to create something that appealed to the council,” explains Marsden. “We chose cladding that ties in with local materials, such as rustic quartz slips that reflect the old reservoir stone walls at the top of the site, and Siberian larch that celebrates the tall trees on the boundaries.”

The low-density, green credentials and the way the buildings blend into the landscape – complemented with the installation of wildflower green roofs – have all contributed to the success of the scheme which has been nominated for the North East Property Awards.

Marsden is owner and principal architect of BDN, a firm of architects, engineers and project managers with offices in Durham and the Lake District. He studied architecture at Northumbria University, which inspired a recent collaboration with Professor Paul Jones and a small group of students to produce designs for the energy-efficient homes.

“One of the students who came up with some of the important concepts used in the Humbledon Hill project is now an employee,” says Marsden, whose father Alan heads up Marikal Design and Build, the company’s construction arm.

Father and son worked alongside each other, with Rick managing the project while living with his family in a small existing house on the site. “I lived and breathed this project from the start, spending endless hours away from my wife and young children, but it was all worth it when we moved in. This is a great place to raise a family,” he says.

Four serviced plots were sold off-plan to help finance the construction of the remaining four. All eight homes were built by Rick and his father in line with the green principles of the site.

Excavating 100,000 tonnes of dolomite stone was necessary to create the required levels. A giant crusher reduced the stone to hardcore that was used to make the roads and to fill gabion cages for retaining walls.

Rick’s own home sits on a sloping site with raft foundations forming the base of the structure, which was built using ICF, chosen partially for its suitability for subterranean conditions. The system uses formers made from polystyrene which are filled with concrete. The shell remains in place, providing both internal and external insulation. Precast hollowcore slabs form the floors on both ground- and first-floor levels.

Rick’s home was the first to be built, with Alan and his team assembling the ICF panels and overseeing the concrete pour. “We made a few mistakes in the early stages because none of us had used ICF before,” confesses Rick, “but these were easily put right and the remaining houses were built without any major problems.”

The first floor has been allocated to the main living space to fully appreciate the coastal and city views, while the bedrooms are located on the ground floor, each with its own door giving access directly onto the garden.

Sweeping panoramic views can be enjoyed through full-height aluminium-framed glazing in the first-floor living area, which leads to a roof terrace that is soon to be laid with turf.

To either side of the fireplace, pocket doors slide into the wall behind, opening up the entire corner to the terrace without any visible structural support.

Large-format porcelain tiles create hardwearing worktops, and concrete- effect cupboard doors tie in the polished concrete floor. 

Polished micro-cement flooring is matched in the kitchen with concrete-effect cabinet doors, and large-format porcelain tiles, big enough so there is no seam, laid on the worktop.

Ply and exposed rafters help soften the industrial interior, which is a broad material palette that also includes polished concrete, full height glazing, rustic oak and exposed steel. 

The first-floor space is bisected by glass balustrades on the steel staircase, which is clad with rustic oak. The stairs are bolted into anchor points in the concrete wall, to create the impression that the treads are floating. Above, a large skylight is set within a striking timber ceiling with plywood and exposed internal rafters beneath the living wildflower roof.

Made in steel and clad in rustic oak, each tread is designed to float, attached to the stone-clad concrete wall by anchor points.

Polished micro-cement flooring is also used throughout the ground floor and roof lights in bathrooms bring additional light into ground-floor areas.

Large skylights draw daylight into the ground-floor bathrooms.