House Hauck is a large house in a semi-rural location in West Horsley, Surrey. It was designed by Baufritz for the owners who wanted a contemporary, sustainable and adaptable home to replace an unattractive and dated house on the site.
Baufritz custom-designs prefabricated homes that offer outstanding environmental features. The timber frame prefabricated construction method meant that the shell of the house was built and watertight within a couple of days.
The end result is a contemporary home that sits respectfully in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounding it. A ranch-style house occupies a low position on the site and uses traditional materials (in particular beautiful dark slate and wooden cladding) offset with crisp white render to emphasise its clean, contemporary profile.
Inside, each room has been designed to make the most of the views over the garden and surrounding landscape. Downstairs, the main room is a generous open-plan kitchen and dining area – a light-filled and airy space thanks to floor to ceiling windows facing the garden and high ceilings above. A comfortable living area is focused around a fireplace, and can be opened up to the main space with beautifully crafted sliding doors. Both these spaces open onto a large veranda beneath the eaves – bringing the outside in and providing additional space for relaxing and entertaining.
Three large bedrooms upstairs each have ensuite bathrooms, with two bedrooms also positioned on the ground floor. In the basement there is a large gym and spa room alongside a well-equipped laundry room. Outside, in the garden, an art studio is a perfect retreat and creative space for the owners.
Natural materials – even down to paint and floor finishes - were used throughout. Much of the house’s energy is generated on site by a ground source heat pump and solar panels, while highly efficient natural insulation minimises heat loss. The deep eaves of the house minimise solar gain during the summer while allowing sunlight to penetrate the interior throughout the year.