Major extension to a cottage within the South Downs National Park. This large extension in the South Downs National Park almost doubles the floor area of the existing cottage, and has created a new south facing facade to provide beautiful views of the South Downs and maximise passive solar gain. The new wing of the Clayton cottage has made extensive use of locally-sourced sweet chestnut for cladding and high-performance doors and windows. The existing oil heating system was replaced by an efficient wood-pellet boiler and solar thermal panels. “Koru Architects made us reconsider our options and took us in a whole new direction what we hadn’t expected but are very happy with. They managed the whole project for us, dealt with the contractors and made sure everything went smoothly. It was very important to us that sustainability was central to the design, which included as many eco features as our budget allowed, such as super insulation, a wood pellet boiler, locally sourced wood for the facade and solar panels. Koru Architects thought laterally about the site and our requirements, for example planting trees in just the right place to provide shading. The extension, which we’ve been using for eight years now, is comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and was relatively non-expensive”. Georgia Turzynski (client).