Project Title: The Sliding House Location: Suffolk
Wood Species: TIMBER FRAME -SOFTWOOD, OSB, TIMBER INFILL FOR SLIDING ROOF - SOFTWOOD; RAINSCREEN CLADDING AND TRIMS - SIBERIAN LARCH, FITTING OUT - VARIOUS TYPES INC. SOFTWOOD, PARTICLE BOARD, EUROPEAN OAK, BIRCH PLYWOOD.
Project Description
The Project
The brief was a self-build house to retire to in order to grow food, entertain and enjoy the landscape. The site offered a combination of rolling England and agricultural Holland, restrained by stringent local planning parameters for rural development. A genuine appreciation of vernacular farm buildings shared by architect and client/builder led to a manipulation of the local timber framed and clad ’shed’ idiom.
The outcome is three conventional building forms with unconventional detailing, radical performance, and a big surprise. A linear building of apparent simplicity is sliced into three programmes; house, garage and annexe. The garage is pulled off axis to create a courtyard between the three. The composition is further defined by material and colour; red rubber membrane and glass, red and black stained larch.
The surprise: the separated forms can be transformed by a 20 ton mobile roof/wall enclosure which traverses the site, creating combinations of enclosure, open-air living and framing of views according to position. This is an autonomous structure; steel, timber, insulation and unstained larch spanning recessed railway tracks. The tracks can be extended in the future should the client wish to build a swimming pool, which may need occasional shelter.
All elements were prefabricated to be assembled on site, except groundworks, internal joinery fixtures and external surfaces, which were in situ. Movement is powered by hidden electric motors on ‘bogeys’ integrated into the wall thickness. Each of the 4 separate motors has its own pair of DC lorry batteries which are charged by mains or PV solar panels. The railway tracks are recessed into the external terrace on which the entire composition rests. The 6m gauge ‘railway’ is further disguised by stone paving joints and a linear drainage gully. This aligns the whole composition, obviates any roof gutters, and draws the visitor toward the garden beyond.
Many people would like to live in a glasshouse for the sensation of being in a sheltered outdoors, but this is generally not practical. As a passive model a glasshouse is never comfortable. Too hot or too cold, no privacy, little effective user-control. The glass living area of Sliding House provides thermal comfort naturally, at almost no cost. Controlled solar gain occurs in the selection of the roof/wall position. This captures requisite heat according to season, and is backed up in combination with a ground source heat pump (inc. pump powered by a wind turbine) for cold periods. Similarly, the principle can be run in reverse to achieve shade and cooling respectively.
The Sliding House offers radically variable spaces, extent of shelter, sunlight and insulation. The dynamic change is a physical phenomenon difficult to describe in words or images. It is about the ability to vary the overall building composition and character according to season, weather, or a remote-controlled desire to delight.
BUILDING OWNER: PRIVATE
ARCHITECT: dRMM
BUILDER/MAIN CONTRACTOR: SELF BUILD WITH USE OF SPECIALIST SUB-CONTRACTORS
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: MICHAEL HADI ASSOCIATES
OTHER ASSOCIATED COMPANY:COLSON ENGINEERING, FLAG SOPREMA UK
