Great North Homes, Hertfordshire

Interconnected living in Stanborough

Background

e-gg was approached to design seven new-build ecohomes on Grey Belt land in Stanborough, on the Great North Road beside the A1(M). The homes are dual aspect, orientated east-west, and have private gardens and garages.

Status
Planning secured, commencing on site in 2026
Approach

Connected Chalets

We put future residents at the heart of our proposals to design homes that combine comfortable and well-proportioned interiors with best-practice passive and low-energy design. The form evolved after extensive analysis of the local architectural and environmental context.

Our design takes cues from the properties opposite the site, as the building gently shifts in plan and elevation to give the impression of four gable-fronted contemporary chalets, interconnected with homes that are topped with biosolar roofing. The rhythm of pitched and flat roofs reduces perceived mass.

We designed two homes towards the northern end of the site to meet the requirements of Part M4(2): Accessible and Adaptable Dwellings, while the remaining five have a split-level entrance floor. These are entered from the existing street level before stepping down internally in response to the topography of the site.

Modern Mews

A row of garages to the rear of the site, with ancillary space above, will provide an acoustic barrier to the A1(M). Although contemporary in appearance, these are inspired by the traditional mews arrangement of townhouses found up and down the country.

The mews building follows the existing topography of the site, gently stepping down from the north to the south-east. Garages are accessed via a private roadway and provide a back door with direct access up to their private gardens.

Outcome

e-gg’s proposals overcome challenging constraints to provide a terrace of low-energy dwellings that address the urgent need for new homes while responding sensitively to the local context and character.

Materially, the chalets follow the modest local character of clay-tiled pitched roofs combined with pale render, brick and tiled façades. A biosolar flat roof (green roof with solar panels) between pitched roofing helps with rainwater attenuation and enhances biodiversity and energy generation. Simple but elegant facades balance active frontages and views out, combining privacy and best-practice solar orientation for passive house design.

Each home has a generous garage with an ancillary space above, accessed via a private roadway. These provide direct access to their private gardens. The ancillary space is perfect for home-working, yoga, play and more. The vertical treatment of the elevations prevents overlooking between dwellings.

Layouts prioritise daylight and optimise views, with rooms arranged to support modern living. At ground floor, living spaces are located away from the A1(M), offering an active frontage to the Great North Road. Kitchen and dining spaces are provided to the rear, opening directly onto gardens.

At first floor, two bedrooms are located on the front elevation, with the master bedroom at the rear of the house. Ample space is also allocated for zero-carbon services within the utility/plant room at ground floor and plant cupboard at first floor.

These are high-quality, healthy, family ecohomes, set in a resilient landscape that supports biodiversity: a regenerative scheme that offers a positive contribution to the local community.

Sustainable Design Summary

All homes will be net-zero carbon in line with the Net Zero Building Standard based on single family homes. Low-carbon materials will minimise upfront embodied carbon, while fabric-first and passive design, combined with efficient services, will minimise operational carbon. An extensive array of PV panels will provide renewable energy. The scheme is designed to target a maximum heating load of 15 kWh/m2GIA/y in line with best-practice passive design.

Our proposals protect and enhance the ecology of the site. The environmental impact, including noise, sound, light and air pollution the proposals will be minimised during construction and operation.

The connected structure reduces ambient noise levels to the gardens and achieves a form factor in line with best-practice low-energy recommendations of LETI. The large area of green roof maximises wildlife habitats and attenuates rainwater. It also enhances insulation and provides a valuable contribution to the site’s BNG in line with climate resilience best practice.

Our fabric-first approach, combined with resilient landscape design, maximises winter heat gains and minimises summer cooling loads, risk of flooding and the effects of drought. We carefully developed facades to ensure the percentages of glazed openings are in line with Passivhaus guidance according to orientation, while internal daylight modelling shows that habitable rooms receive good levels of daylight, minimising lighting demand.