1806    Birch Holt

Our clients came to us with a clear vision: to create a contemporary, low-energy home that reflected their personalities, love of travel, and appreciation for thoughtful design. Their plot, part of the Long Four Acres Custom/Self Build development in South Norfolk, offered an opportunity to craft a house that felt both distinctive and deeply connected to its setting.

The design centres on a semi-private courtyard to the southeast, enclosed by the house and a planted, roofed colonnade. Louvred solar screens create dynamic patterns of light and shadow while controlling summer heat gain. This sheltered courtyard forms the perfect morning retreat — protected from south-westerly winds and screened from view, yet still open to glimpses of the landscape beyond.

Drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese and subtropical architecture, as well as western mid-century design, the house is defined by wide overhanging roofs that provide solar shading and protection from the elements. Its long, low form sits quietly within the landscape, allowing the occupants to feel surrounded by nature rather than elevated above it. Inside, a fluid plan connects key spaces with long sightlines and strong visual links to the outdoors.

The materials palette is intentionally restrained, using a few carefully detailed materials to create calmness and clarity, while light and shadow animate the façade and courtyard throughout the day. High-performance systems — including mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and a concealed photovoltaic array — ensure year-round comfort and near self-sufficient energy use.

The result is a home that embodies its owners’ values: peaceful, efficient, and expressive of a life well-travelled — a truly personal interpretation of contemporary low-energy living in the Norfolk landscape.