Flaxyard House, Beaminster

 Philip and Sue  Crawford completed the construction of this house in 2019, in the grounds of their old house.  The house was a self-build, but owing to the complexity of the build a project manager was used.

The house, designed by architect Edward Howell, is a timber-framed structure constructed on the site, with Celotex insulation and Firmacell internal lining.  The outside has Western Red cedar cladding, with local stone on the road side.  The zinc roof harvests rain which is stored in a 5,000 litre tank for irrigating the garden.  Photovoltaic panels, mounted on the roof at the efficient angle of 30°, provide 4.5kW of electricity, and an Air Source Heat Pump provides the domestic hot water as well as the underfloor heating.  A ventilation/heat  retrieval (MVHR) system brings fresh air to each room and extracts heat from the stale air. 

An Everhot range provides a more efficient and controllable stove than a conventional Aga.  Two woodburning stoves provide extra heating in the winter.  The underfloor heating is not used very much.