The expansive home in the Cotswolds, England, not only exceeds the UK’s Code 6 Sustainable Homes Guide, it surpasses the German ‘Passivhaus’ energy efficiency standards by over 65%! This is quite a feat, especially when you consider that the home is over 21 times bigger than the average UK home, at 1,500 sqm (16,000 sqft). The entire construction process has been documented by the home’s owner & builder, John Croft.
Quad-Lock was chosen for the basement and some of the interior walls based on the energy efficiencies and speed to construct. The 40m x 7m (131ft x 22ft) basement with a 3m (10ft) wall at the front and a 5.5m (18ft) wall at the back with a 20cm (8″) concrete core took John and his brother less than 2 days to build and pour! Quad-Lock was also used for the infinity swimming pool as well as the boat/summer house on the lower lake.
The home has no heating demands, is not connected to mains water or sewerage, uses no fossil fuels, and is lit entirely by ultra low LED lighting. The building is self-sufficient in its energy requirements by utilizing an array of discretely positioned PV panels, which supply more electricity than the house uses. The surplus is fed back into the grid, generating an estimated income of £3,500/year (US$5,600/year).