Jumat, 11 Juni 2010

Soak supplies bathrooms for new Eco-Home


Soak was selected to supply the bathroom products for a bespoke five bedroom luxury eco-home which was designed by Baca Architects for a music-loving family who live in the Chilterns.  This home received a Special Commendation in Best New Home 2010 from the London Evening Standard Home Property Awards.

The grand, barrel vaulted upper floor accommodates a sequence of open plan living spaces with views to the outside at every glance. The curved plan and section allowed a considerable sized family home to be designed within a discreet building envelope. Window bays provide views towards the distant hills of the Chilterns. The green roof and green oak cladding tie the building into the surroundings. The accommodation is inverted, with the living space occupying the barrel-vaulted upper floor. The music room sits at the heart of the home and can be shut off via 3.1m high acoustic sliding folding glass doors. Energy saving is achieved from a wood burning stove / boiler, solar thermal and electrical panels which provide 20% renewable energy. 

There are 4 bathrooms and a cloakroom and the family bathroom has been transformed into a sensational subterranean boudoir. Copper and white tiles reflect the sparkle of fibre-optic lights buried into the wall, like a newly discovered quartz vein. 

A Victoria & Albert Napoli basin sits on a generous slab with a pressed steel 1700 x 750 bath is enclosed by 3 walls. There is also a Duravit Starck shower tray with a Roman Sculptures shower screen. 

A brightly lit oak lined master en-suite bathroom benefits from a picture window and mirrored wall, which bring the outside within as it overlooks the garden, and includes an egg-shaped Victoria & Albert Napoli bath complete with floor-standing waste, Catalano Muse basin, Duravit Starck 3 close coupled toilet and Zehnder towel warmer.

The second and third en suites both feature a Duravit Starck shower tray, Duravit Bacino basin and Duravit Starck 3 wall hung toilet. The cloakroom contains a Catalano Proiezioni Basin and Duravit Starck wall hung toilet.

The music room is located at the centre of the house. Sliding folding acoustic glass doors span the entire end wall, enabling the room to be closed off from the rest of the house for composing or opened out to create a spacious entertainment room. 

A suspended ceiling and bespoke walnut joinery all help to create the ideal acoustic environment for composing the next masterpiece. 

The building is constructed from a highly insulated, timber frame over a concrete and masonry semi basement. This provides comfortable level of heating in the winter and good thermal mass to keep it cool during the summer. A green roof provide new habitat and reduces rainwater runoff rates.

The kitchen and the dining area located to the east take advantage of the morning sun and allow direct access onto the generous outdoor patio. Bespoke walnut joinery is combined with lacquered white units and a recycled glass worktop, containing pieces of mirror to add sparkle. Soak supplied a Gessi oxygen wall mounted tap.

The living room and outdoor timber terrace are located to the west, enjoying the setting sun over the distant hills. The oak canopy over the terrace is designed to allow plants to grow over, providing shade and cover. A feature wood-burning stove heats the room and simultaneously the hot water and heating system. 
 A glass floor forms the threshold into the house and allows natural light into the library and floor below. The lower floor is reached by descending a floating timber staircase, supported by the glass balustrade. Four unique bathrooms are created for the occupants.  The materials were selected to complement the picturesque setting and to partially disguise the building. Green oak draws upon materials of traditional country barns, left to weather and silver naturally over time. Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) timber is used throughout the house in bespoke joinery, dark on the upper floor and light on the lower.


Robert Barker is joint founder of BACA Architects (http://www.baca.uk.com/) and all images were taken by Alistair Lever .

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