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Summary

Paul Horton is an architectural designer, specializing in timber, particularly post and beam frame design. He has built his timber clad cabin as a prototype eco home for a single person.

The greenest aspect of this new, two-room cabin is its small size – 6m by 2.4m – which results in huge savings in materials and energy consumption. Paul feels the size is adequate for single occupancy living, with ‘a fairly ordered lifestyle and minimum clutter’.

When finished, the cabin will incorporate breathable walls roof and flooring, natural hemp insulation, wood stove heating, double glazed timber windows and 12 volt electricity from a small solar array.

Paul has designed and built his home both as a means to developing his theories on small space, low impact living, and also to develop design detailing and building methods which can easily be transferred to large projects.

The cabin is designed to comply with the planning law for ancillary accommodation, but one of Paul’s biggest challenges now is to find a suitable site.

Green features

• 6m by 2.4m size means very low material and energy consumption costs
• timber built from certified European wood plus local wood for timber cladding
• high spec design and build to minimise heat loss
• breathable walls, roof and floor, with natural hemp insulation
• environmentally friendly natural paints
• wood stove for heating
• small PV array for LED lighting (planned)
• rainwater collection from roof (planned)
• trailer chassis makes this home mobile
• Off grid, with no mains water

Energy use

Not yet available.

Suppliers used and recommended by owners

• Natural Building Technologies for the insulation material and paint
• Snows Timber for much of the timber in the structure (most of their range is from certified European sources)
• Stourhead Estate for the timber cladding

To find out more

To contact the owner for more information about this property, email paulhorton@cooptel.net

Directions

Harepits Farm is best approached from Harepits Lane which runs between Barton Road and Kingweston Road in Butleigh. From the Glastonbury direction turn left off Sub Road into Barton Road at the Rose and Portcullis crossroads. At the next crossroads turn right into Harepits Lane. Harepits farm is half way up on the right hand side. The workshop is in the large farm building immediately on your right. The entrance is on the opposite side to the road.

Butleigh is on the 667 Wincanton to Street bus route.

See the calendar for open days and times