Built to breathe: how one couple transformed a bungalow into a low-energy, high-joy retreat

The Kalio Edit

Built to breathe: how one couple transformed a bungalow into a low-energy, high-joy retreat

Words Amy Bonifas
Architectural photography French + Tye
Portrait photography Paul Whitbread

Architects Tom Gresford, founder of Gresford Architects, and his wife Phoebe of Nick Cox Architects, searched for several years before finding a location that offered the sustainable build opportunity and calm idyll they were both craving. Using Passivhaus principles and designing in a plethora of playful details, they transformed a modest bungalow and its gardens into a low-energy, high-joy retreat – now for sale.

When he was 12, Tom was given a book on Fallingwater – Frank Lloyd Wright’s cantilevered creation set in the wild Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. He was instantly fascinated. Today, he brings the same passion for powerful architecture driven by sustainability to his practice. Both he and Phoebe help to craft or restore homes that are kinder to the environment, more economical to maintain, and more joyful to live in. So, when it came to building a home for their family, it’s no surprise that they have carefully honed a space that embodies their long held principles.

“We searched for years for a project that offered a welcoming site and potential for development,” says Tom. “We wanted to move further away from Oxford to the countryside, and rather than pinpointing a particular location, we were drawn to sites that offered a special quality. With The Old Orchard, the view, existing garden and surrounding landscape were a huge draw, as was the nearby village of Littleworth.”

It was important to Tom that the new house was optimised for energy efficiency. “We built the house to EnerPHIT standard, which is the Passivhaus retrofit standard,” he explains. “It’s basically the same thing, but with very slightly more relaxed targets to account for existing building fabric.

“The first thing you notice when you start living in a Passivhaus is how fresh it feels,” says Tom. This is thanks to the Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery System, which helps to ensure the house is always well-ventilated, even when all the doors and windows are closed. “Hot, stale air is extracted and fresh air, warmed by the heat recovery if needed, is reintroduced into the home.”

This can help with diminishing strong cooking smells, and it means zero condensation on the windows in winter and in the bathrooms, even after a hot bath or shower. “Having come from an old farmhouse, it’s a joy that the house is the perfect temperature and level of ventilation, no matter the time of day or season,” says Tom. “Not to mention being able to hang your washing overnight in the utility room and it being dry by the morning

He explains that the concept from the ground floor was simple but effective. “The plan is broken up into functional blocks, each with its own colour – for instance, the downstairs loo is blue and the utility room is orange,” says Tom. “The colours were inspired by a kimono pattern from Phoebe’s time living in Japan. The living spaces flow freely around the coloured boxes, which are separated by pocket sliding doors. As you move through the house, the colours of the boxes rustle and shimmer in the light, like the languid movement of the silk kimono.”

Then there are the light and playful additions to the house, including an indoor slide and mezzanine levels. “We wanted the kids to have fun in the house,” Tom explains. “Phoebe and I had promised them after years of house searching that we’d build them a slide in the next one, and it has become the core of the house, alongside the stairs and living area hub. We didn’t want to have rooms hidden way that stops us from interacting all together.”

The mezzanines in the children’s bedrooms and connecting windows into the hallway make practical use of the high-ceilinged rooms, and give everyone fun, extra spaces to play in and explore. Other joyful touches include the deep window sills with seats for lazy afternoons watching the landscape or reading.

The surrounding rural scenes are very much a part of the home’s essence, with picture windows framing verdant views from every angle. “When we moved in, before putting pictures up, the wide view was our live picture,” says Tom. “Oxfordshire is fairly flat as a county, but this ridge to the Thames Valley offers a rare opportunity to have stretching vistas for miles. Just like the original bungalow, the house feels set back and independent, and we retained the lovely different areas of the garden around the house.” The reflections of the sun are one of the family’s greatest joys – its rays gently illuminate the front of the house in the morning and move into a low sunset that streams into the living space from the back garden, bathing the house in golden light. The smart design leverages the sun’s power, too. “Thanks to the Passivhaus principles, we pay lower bills,” says Tom. “With the solar PV technology (which converts sunlight directly into electricity using solar panels), air-source heat pump and intuitive car charging, it feels like you’re leaning lightly on resources – that the house is built to last the climate needs of the next century.”

The Kalio Edit