Name: Gresford Architects
Price range: $

A modern black building with vertical ridges, three small windows, and a grey roof peak against a clear blue sky, architecture by Gresford Architects.

Modern black wooden house with large glass doors and small windows, surrounded by garden and trees, under a clear blue sky, architecture by Gresford Architects.

Modern black building with large windows, evening sky, outdoor seating, garden, and countryside view, architecture by Gresford Architects.

Modern black wooden building with square windows, garden, and pathway, architecture by Gresford Architects.

A doorway with wooden trim set into a dark vertical cladding exterior wall, leading to a garden view, architecture by Gresford Architects.

View through a narrow wooden doorway into a bright, modern interior with light wood flooring and en-suite space, architecture by Gresford Architects.

Open-plan kitchen and dining area with minimalist design, wooden floors, white walls, large windows, and contemporary furniture, architecture by Gresford Architects.

Interior staircase with wooden steps and white risers, leading to a upper floor, natural light from large windows, minimalist decor by Gresford Architects

Living room with black leather sofa and armchairs, wooden flooring, large window, minimalist design, architecture by Gresford Architects.

A minimalist interior corridor with natural wood flooring and white walls, leading to a corner with a vintage armchair and a floor lamp, architecture by Gresford Architects.

A black vertical timber-clad building exterior with an open door revealing a modern interior, a window with a plant outside, and architecture by Gresford Architects.

A modern grey house with large windows and a sloped roof, situated behind a field with dry plants, with trees and other houses in the background; architecture by Gresford Architects.

Modern black wooden house with large sliding glass door, set on a brick patio, surrounded by a garden and countryside view, architecture by Gresford Architects.

Chieveley has been built as a commercial proposition to show that a Passivhaus can be a crisply designed modern piece of architecture that eschews the clichéd 'hair shirt' approach to sustainable living. The four bedroom house was prrefabricated off site and constructed on the site of an old water tower on the edge of the village of Chieveley in West Berkshire.

With its large windows and generous living spaces, the four bedroom family house is a comfortable, contemporary interpretation of the locally found historic timber framed buildings it draws inspiration from. Unusually for a Passivhaus it is orientated to the west to take advantage of beautiful views over open countryside, and its warm and characterful interior shows how bright and joyful life in a Passivhaus can be.