Norfolk House has been designed to provide a practical and comfortable escape from bustling city life to the peace and tranquillity of the countryside. It is smart, sensible and homely – a contemporary take on the crofter’s cottage – combining the charms of a rural setting with the best of modern design. It offers flexible living space that can be tailored to work as a main, second, or holiday home. The property offers four to six bedrooms. Two of the bedrooms could alternatively serve as a large home office and playroom, respectively. We have analysed the spaces thoroughly to make them work as hard and as efficiently as possible, minimising excess and wasted space. The proposal uses local materials where possible to reduce the building’s carbon footprint. The pallet of materials is refined and restrained, utilising timber and timber boarded concrete to give the internal spaces warmth whilst keeping the environments calm and simple. Externally the local vernacular of timber boards and clay tiles is invoked, with handmade bricks used walls and paths within the landscape. Air source heat pumps are concealed in the roof space which provided a sustainable source of heating for the building. Photovoltaic cells are located in the grounds and contribute to the energy consumption of the building. Batteries within the garage store this energy when not in use. -- Norfolk - Architects - Architecture - Interior Design - Landscape Design - Sustainable Design - New Build