Tarn Moor

A Contemporary Eco Home Shaped by Science

Tarn Moor is an award-winning contemporary home in the Surrey Green Belt, designed for a climate scientist and her family. From the outset, the brief challenged every aspect of the project: could a new house be built with the lowest possible environmental impact while creating an exceptional place to live?

The result is a home where sustainability is not an added feature but the driving force behind every design decision. From material selection and construction methods to energy performance and future adaptability, the architecture demonstrates how thoughtful design can significantly reduce environmental impact without compromising quality or comfort.

Architecture Inspired by Landscape

Set within a wooded hillside overlooking the surrounding countryside, the house has been carefully positioned to minimise its visual impact. A solid masonry base appears anchored into the landscape, while a lightweight timber structure above seems to float amongst the trees, creating a striking contrast between permanence and lightness.

The first floor accommodates the principal living spaces, allowing panoramic views across the landscape while opening directly onto generous terraces and balconies. Clerestory glazing beneath the distinctive winged roof introduces natural light deep into the interior, creating bright, uplifting spaces throughout the day.

Building with a Lower Carbon Footprint

Sustainability informed every stage of the design and construction process.

Material excavated from the original house was crushed and reused within the foundations, significantly reducing the need for new concrete. Crushed recycled foam glass provides highly efficient insulation below ground, while limecrete was selected in place of conventional concrete to lower embodied carbon.

The house combines locally sourced flint, responsibly certified timber and natural wood fibre insulation to create a highly insulated building envelope using materials chosen for both their environmental performance and longevity.

Designed for Future Generations

A glulam timber frame allows the house to be organised on a simple structural grid, with almost all internal walls remaining non-loadbearing. This flexibility means the home can evolve as family life changes, extending its lifespan and reducing the need for future alterations.

Renewable technologies, including a ground source heat pump, photovoltaic panels and Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR), work alongside passive solar design to minimise energy demand and provide comfortable living throughout the year.

Sustainable Design Without Compromise

Tarn Moor demonstrates that contemporary architecture and environmental responsibility can work hand in hand. Rather than treating sustainability as a collection of technologies, the project integrates low-carbon construction, renewable energy, natural materials and thoughtful planning into a single architectural vision.

The result is a contemporary family home that sits lightly within its landscape while offering a blueprint for the future  contemporary family home that sits lightly within its landscape while offering a blueprint for the future of sustainable residential design.