Flint House
Flint House, built on the Rothschild estate in Buckinghamshire, is the winner of the 2015 RIBA House of the Year.
Designed for Lord Rothschild and inspired by the natural rough flint remains found in the surrounding chalk fields, the house is part of the estate administered by a charitable trust. The design concept was to create a building that melds with the landscape.
A number of services, including the ventilation grilles, were carefully integrated into the interior to minimise visual impact. The environmental strategy included the use of rainwater harvesting and photovoltaic cells for solar energy. The house is heated by an air source heat pump located inside the building, also featuring mechanical ventilation with heat recovery throughout.
Flint stone was incorporated in the exterior, helping to revive the traditional craftsmanship of flint wall construction. Over eight tons of flint was hand picked from five quarries and used in the cladding.