The Bide

Lewis and Mallon Architects, Dorset, 2021

 

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All photographs Jake Balston     Download Original

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Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this retreat overlooks the rolling hills of Dorset’s ‘Hardy’ countryside. The cabin features a picture window, framing restorative views across the working farm.

The ground floor contains a dining area with bespoke table, kitchenette, bathroom and feature bookcase. A sliding ladder leads up to the mezzanine area, containing a super-king bed and skylight.

Clever built-in furniture solutions help to maximise the floor space, including a CNC-manufactured bookcase, wardrobe and window seat with integrated storage and heating. The internal walls are lined with organic through-dyed MDF panels and the floor is finished with a natural linoleum.

Designed to be comfortable all year round, the cabin is a low-energy building with robust air-tightness and triple-glazing. It also showcases new sustainable technologies such as the Separett waterless toilet, a decentralised MVHR system, Nebia vapourised shower (which uses 40 per cent less water than a conventional shower) and a mattress made from recycled denim.

Constructed on a 6.6x2.5m flatbed trailer, the structure was built using the Wikihouse system: an FSC OSB frame cut by CNC and bolted together by hand. Low-carbon materials have been used to insulate; including sheep’s wool and wood fibre. The cabin was constructed on a driveway in Lincolnshire before being transported to the farm in Dorset, where it was towed by tractor into its final position.

The external appearance is inspired by the local barn vernacular and uses corrugated roofing panels rotated 45 degrees to give a contemporary aesthetic. Powder-coated aluminium panels have been used to frame openings and corner junctions.

Outside, there is a black-stained deck made of scaffold boards and a sunken wood-fired hot tub. Gabion cages made from flint found in the excavated ground form a seating area for evenings around the fire pit.

Annual CO2 data was not provided

Data

  • Begun: Apr 2021
  • Completed: Oct 2021
  • Floor area: 18m2
  • Total cost: £40,000
  • Funding: Private
  • Tender date: Mar 2021
  • Procurement: Self-build
  • Address: Milton Abbas, Dorset, DT11, United Kingdom

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