HOUSE WEBB, NEWMARKET, SUFFOLK

“We are very pleased with the decision to go with Baufritz.  We were one of the first people to approach Baufritz in the UK to design as well as build the house and it was a risk because they were new in the market at the time.  I needn’t have worried – the service we have received has been superb and it’s great to work with a local company with such outstanding credentials for quality, ecology and health.  We got planning permission very quickly and the design is spot on for what we want. In fact one of the bedrooms isn’t really a bedroom at all – it’s a special TV room just for me!”

 David Webb

Background

David Webb and his wife Jane were one of the first couples in the UK to approach Baufritz to design a home for them in Newmarket.  David, who owns his own haulage company in Cambridge was keen to build a contemporary home on their plot in the centre of Newmarket but he wanted something that suited their needs perfectly and make the most of the magnificent views over Tattersalls.  His wife Jane ran the long established fashion store, Jane’s of Newmarket, and the idea was to create a splendid townhouse from which Jane could walk to work and David could oversee his business.

Jane and David worked with a Baufritz architect to draw up the plans and planning permission was granted in just seven weeks.  Given the urban location, the plot was fairly small, sandwiched between two other houses, therefore the design had to make the best use of the available space.  As a result the 350m² house has been intelligently designed with a basement below to incorporate underground parking for David’s cars (German of course!).

The Exterior

The house is a very contemporary design with extensive glazing to the front to make the most of the exceptional views.  The house has a striking off-set pitched roof that gives the house a modern feel while still maintaining continuity with the streetscape in which the other more traditional looking homes all have pitched roofs.  At the front of the house there is a steep downward sloping driveway into the garage below. The basement was expertly constructed by our partner firm Glatthaar, Europe's No.1 basement builder.

The Interior

In the basement there is a double garage, turning area, plant room and storage area with stairs leading to the ground floor.  The entrance to the ground floor is to the side of the house.  To the front of the house is a living room with extensive glazing with sliding windows opening out onto a large deck.  There are internal sliding doors from the living room into the dining room which also has lots of glass to make the most of the view.  On the ground floor there is also a WC off the entrance hall and a kitchen and study to the rear both with sliding doors onto the rear deck overlooking the garden. 

On the first floor there is a master bedroom with a large en-suite bathroom to the front, again with lots of glass to maximise the views.  Next door is a music/TV room with sliding doors onto a balcony.   On the first floor there is also a laundry room, two guest rooms and two shower rooms.

The Utilities

Electrics – Cat 5 data cabling.

Heating – The Webbs have two other properties and therefore they will not live in this house all year round.  Hence they have opted for a gas condensing boiler with under floor heating. 

Ventilation - To ensure that they enjoy consistently good air quality and to save valuable heating energy through heat recovery, Baufritz will install a number of decentralised reverse fans (LTMs) with heat recovery in various locations through out the house.  The LTM extracts warm air from the room, passes it through the heat exchanger and the heat extracted from the air is stored in the unit. The fan changes direction and fresh air brought in from outside passes through the unit and is warmed by the stored heat before entering the room. In warm weather the effect is reversed, thus cooling the warmer outside air before it enters the house. The LTM units can be controlled from a central location, thus optimising performance. 

Thermal Efficiency

The external walls are 40cm thick (as is standard in all Baufritz homes) and packed with Baufritz’s patented wood shaving insulation which is proven to be highly thermally efficient.  The wood shavings are left over from the manufacturing process so waste is minimised; they are protected from fire, fungus and pests using a natural treatment made from soda and whey. The use of the Baufritz wall construction also dramatically reduces energy consumption.  This can be shown in three ways:

Energy loss through thermal transfer is only 0.16 W/m²K compared to 0.45 W/m²K in a conventional brick wall.  Energy consumption level per annum is only 40 kWh/m² in a Baufritz house compared to 250 kWh/m² in a typical UK house

These thick walls are breathable which ensures that condensation is removed from the atmosphere faster than it is generated, making the living environment inside the house comfortable and fresh.  Air tightness is a crucial factor in any home energy consumption. Baufritz design each home with windows and doors already in place, the fit is perfect, resulting in excellent air tightness.