The house on the South Downs is a development of three earlier buildings; Garrett House, Bartholomew Villas and Ted’s own house, Camden Mews. 

The main living room and bedrooms wrap around two sides of a terrace on top of the dining room and kitchen. 

The living room and main bedroom both have fully glazed timber bays that project out with great views into the landscape. 

The high flat roofed main rooms are served by lower smaller rooms with grass roofs that stretch back to join the Downland grass.

In 2013 we were approached by the original family to explore ways to reduce carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. We looked at a full range of fabric and servicing improvements, working with Max Fordham to evaluate these according to predicted benefit, cost and disruption. The aim was to get the greatest energy reduction and increase in comfort with the least invasive work. For each option we calculated the current contribution to heat loss and potential for improvement. This enabled a bundle of works to be chosen, tendered and implemented. Performance is being monitored - the impact on comfort of the additional insulation was immediate. 

Aside from comfort, new lightweight green roof technology has enabled the upper roof to be planted, letting the roofs blend into the landscape as the original concept.

It is great to have the opportunity to return to our earlier buildings. Here Chiverton were the contractor, continuing a relationship going back to our Weald and Downland Gridshell building. The work has recently been Highly Commended by the Sussex Heritage Trust in their 2015 Awards Refurbishment category.