The Award Winning Lower Cottage Farm was constructed on a hillside location in Lancashire back in 2016. The clients, Lisa and Nigel Dunnington, purchased a derelict farm and outbuildings which they have replaced with a modern, state-of-the-art family home, designed to resemble a farmhouse and barn conversion.
Three distinct structures have been created – a rendered house block, a larger barn clad in Lakeland slate and, connecting the two, a stunning frameless glazed entrance structure. Each section is unique yet blend effortlessly together.
The main accommodation is in the barn and includes a garage, cinema and utility in the basement.
Local Architect, Peter Bamber, designed this energy efficient home to reflect the previous stone clad buildings and open barns, and used traditional and local materials to blend with the landscape.
He worked very closely with the family throughout the whole build and “made sure that everyone had a say about what they wanted from the house” explains Lisa.
The solid construction of BecoWallform and a “fabric-first” approach to the design ensures high levels of thermal insulation and airtightness, with an even temperature throughout the house. The combination of a ground source heat pump and heat recovery system add to the long term sustainability of the home.
Natural materials continue internally where slate wall tiling was selected for the double height glazed entrance, and walnut treads for the staircase in the barn wing.
A large, open plan kitchen/dining/living room on the ground floor of the barn provides a sociable family area.
Lisa says, “Building our own home had been a lifelong dream, and the whole process has been amazing from start to finish.”
