UKs First Zero Carbon Rated House

In Staplehurst, Kent, a house has been built which has been rated as zero carbon.

Richard Hawkes, the architect, followed the design of a timbrel vaulted house originally found in Catalonia, Spain in the 14th century.

The house, called Crossways, has triple glazing, adapted newspaper insulation and is roofed with plants and soil.

Solar panels provide warmth and cooling and it can also get heat from a boiler rated at 11kw and fired by wood and wood pellets, known as biomass.

The timbrel vaulting allows the house to maintain a steady temperature, stay warm and diminishes the requirement for cooling and heating methods.

The house shows that modern techniques can use native supplies combined with innovative engineering to produce a viable building that has little effect on the planet, said architect Richard Hawkes.

From 2016 the law will require every new home to be zero carbon rated.