ProjectQuiet House
ClientPrivate
LocationDevon
StatusPlanning
A Paragraph 84 family home designed for neurodiversity, that reinterprets local cob traditions
A Paragraph 84 Family Home in Devon
Situated in the rolling landscape of the Otter Valley, Quiet House is an outstanding design proposal that serves as the natural next chapter for a site that has benefitted from over 50 years of land stewardship. The three-acre site has been nurtured by the family since the 1970s through a dedicated program of hedge laying and ecological enhancement.
Studio Bark have designed the home to support neurodiversity. By unearthing hyper-local colours and textures from the soil and minerals of the site, the project creates a tranquil, sensory-led environment.
The house was submitted for planning under Paragraph 84e of the NPPF.
Navigating a sensitive site
The building is embedded into the landscape’s natural contours, adopting a low-slung, linear form. This design response is strategically positioned on the flattest area of the site to touch the ground as lightly as possible while navigating buried utilities and necessary ecological buffers.
Colours and textures have been deeply inspired by the surrounding Devon soil and site minerals, creating a poetic, contemporary interpretation of the local vernacular through stone plinths and a modernised cob construction.
Designing a home for neurodiversity
The internal layout prioritises sensory sanctuary through three dedicated quiet spaces with lower ceilings interspersed between open-plan living areas. This aids spatial sequencing and provides essential recalibration zones for the inhabitants.
The linear plan is strictly defined by its dual-elevation character: a protective, lime-rendered north side with minimal openings to minimise heat loss; and a generous, timber-clad south side featuring deep roof overhangs to maximise passive solar gain while connecting seamlessly with the wetland and meadow gardens.
The chimney facilitates both passive stack cooling and log burner heating underpinned by a rigorous environmental strategy.
Land stewardship and landscape enhancement
Specific landscape interventions, such as water rills and native planting, provide natural sound attenuation to mitigate background noise from the nearby A30 bypass without the need for contrived visual buffers.
Submitted under Paragraph 84e of the NPPF, Quiet House targets an ambitious whole-life zero-carbon standard, transitioning to a carbon-negative status within just seven years while delivering a significant 29.6% habitat biodiversity net gain.
A Whole Life Zero Carbon Home
Quiet House is designed to achieve an ambitious Whole Life Zero Carbon standard, utilising bio-based materials like locally sourced cob and timber. The energy strategy uses a fabric-first approach with high-performance U-values that exceed LETI and Passivhaus benchmarks, paired with dual-orientation glazing that balances passive solar gain in the south with minimised heat loss to the north.
Complementing this, a dual-use masonry chimney facilitates both passive stack cooling and seasonal wood-burner heating, while concealed photovoltaic arrays provide on-site energy generation. The dwelling was able to achieve a significant 29.6% habitat biodiversity net gain and an 11.7% hedgerow uplift, with a building fabric achieving exceptional U-values of 0.12 for walls and 0.1 for the roof.
Read about Studio Bark’s approach to Whole Life Zero Carbon here.
