The Cheltenham House: A re-evaluation of how houses are built.
The Cheltenham House is an ambitious, eco-friendly underground house. An example of new design, products, materials and construction methods. It creates a sustainable living environment for the modern lifestyle with minimal environmental impact.
The house build began in October 2006 and was filmed by Channel 4’s Grand Design team. The project was completed in October 2007 and the show was aired on 16 January 2008. Regular tv updates were shown as the house was also filmed for the Discovery Channels “The Worlds Greenest Homes” to be aired this month (September 08)
Tim & Zoe Bawtree: The Ambition to Build Green
Tim Bawtree (37) and his wife, Zoe,(35) epitomise the modern living couple. From their regency house in Cheltenham, they each run their own internet businesses between looking after their two children, Fraser (8) and Hugo (3). Zoe runs her own business Minximoo.com which sells a range of wall decors featuring fun characters. Tim developed a software solution enabling telecom’s traders to trade with each other online, irrespective of size and credit risk. The solution is now being developed to handle other commodities.
Tim has always held another ambition: to use the latest technology to develop a pioneering eco-friendly, underground house.
This is not his first eco project. By the age of 22, Tim had developed a business recycling McDonalds cartons by extruding them into plastic wood and then selling them back as outdoor furniture to over 100 McDonalds! The Cheltenham House was an even more ambitious project - he set out to show UK planners and builders to re evaluate how houses could be built.
In February 2006 Tim and family were granted planning permission to build on a small 24m x 6m plot behind their regency house in a Conservation Area surrounded by Grade II and GradeII* listed buildings. From this tiny beginning, Tim hoped The Cheltenham House would become a landmark in British design. Tim and Zoe have plans to do it all again and further develop the use of eco technologies.
Is This The Turning Point for Underground Housing?
Tim believes it is time to reconsider building underground in light of advances in technology and building materials; pressing environmental issues and the desperate demand for housing. Underground housing will be less susceptible to the impact of global warming, and reduce both energy consumption and land use. The result has been an amazing success, giving them a spacious, light, low running cost contemporary home.
The Advantages of Underground Housing
Light transfusion, moisture exclusion and capital investment have been the key obstacles to the widespread adoption of underground housing but The Cheltenham House also showcases cutting edge technology (including the latest waterproof concrete and new developments in natural light transfusion) which aims to encourage the planning and building communities to reconsider underground options.
Protection against extreme weather patterns
Underground houses offer extra protection against the anticipated increase in temperature extremes, high winds, hailstorms, tornados and hurricanes. They are also less affected by changes in outdoor air temperatures since temperatures inside an earth sheltered house are more stable. Additionally interior rooms are more comfortable and require less artificial control.
Opportunity to build in noisy locations
The natural sound proofing qualities of earth presents opportunities to build in otherwise unacceptable locations.
Opportunity to build in environmentally sensitive locations
Underground houses can blend harmoniously and sometimes almost invisibly into the landscape.
Lower energy consumption and running costs
Underground houses use significantly less energy to maintain, in both summer and winter. They should also cost less to insure because they are more sheltered from the elements. Depending on the design there is no need for external painting, mending or cleaning of gutters.