A family home in Essex proves that low-energy living can be beautiful, practical, and climate-positive.
If you are planning a new build, you may be wondering how to make it truly future proof. Hayrick, built by DCH Construction in North Essex, offers a compelling answer. It is one of the very few homes in the UK to achieve Passivhaus Plus certification. This rare distinction signals exceptional energy performance, comfort and climate-conscious design.
Passivhaus Plus is not a trend or a label. It is a measurable standard. To qualify, a home must use less than 15 kilowatt-hours per square metre per year for heating, generate renewable energy on-site, and pass airtightness and thermal bridge tests. Hayrick meets all these requirements. It goes further by producing more energy than it consumes and achieving net-negative carbon emissions.
A Home That Stores More Than It Spends
Hayrick is built from straw, timber, and cellulose insulation. These materials do more than keep the house warm. They store carbon. A whole-life carbon assessment showed that the building locks away nearly 40 tonnes of carbon, which is more than the emissions produced during construction. Its embodied carbon sits comfortably within the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge target.
This is not just a low-energy home. It is a climate-positive one.
Read Stanley Bragg Architect’s blog post about the Hayrick project and Passivhaus Plus certification.
Designed for Real Life
The house is tailored to its setting. Barn-black cladding and exposed British Larch timbers echo the surrounding countryside. Inside, a vaulted living space and polished concrete floor, nicknamed “farm terrazzo,” create a calm and grounded atmosphere. The finishes are tactile and durable. The layout is simple and generous.
Triple-glazed windows with integrated blinds prevent overheating. A mechanical ventilation system keeps air fresh and temperatures stable. There are no drafts, no cold spots and no noise from outside. Just quiet, clean air and steady warmth.
Smart Systems and Simple Living
Hayrick is fully connected, despite its rural location. A Starlink satellite provides high-speed internet. All systems, from heating to ventilation, are app-controlled. The house includes:
- An insulated raft foundation
- A Zehnder ventilation system with 96% heat recovery
- A Vaillant heat pump with cooling
- An 8-kilowatt solar array with battery storage and grid export capability
These systems work quietly in the background. The result is a home that is easy to live in and inexpensive to run.
Could Your Next Home Be Passivhaus Plus?
If you are building from scratch, this level of performance is within reach. It takes care, collaboration, and attention to detail. DCH Construction led the realisation of Hayrick from tender to completion, proving that natural materials and smart design can deliver a home that is both comfortable and climate conscious.
This is not a prototype. It is a real home, built for a real family, and it works.
Learn more about Passivhaus at the Passivhaus Trust and explore the full story behind Hayrick on in our article: From Timber to Tech: Inside a Masterpiece of Eco Design.
Photography by Matthew Smith.