South-East England £2,000,000 Freehold Madingley Road
Tis multi-award-winning, high specifcation eco-house was designed by the acclaimed architect Meredith Bowles of Mole Architects in 2011. It occupies a quiet and secluded position on Madingley Road, in the western section of the Conservation Area of Cambridge, and extends to over 2,460 sq ft. Te internal living space follows a single storey L- shaped plan designed around an internal south-facing garden with a rare Liquidambar tree at its centre. Te design takes an exacting approach to light and space, with a focus on natural materials and energy efciency to support sustainable modes of modern living.
Te Architect Te celebrated architect Meredith Bowles founded Mole Architects in 1996. Te practice has received numerous awards for its innovative approach to design, including the highly prestigious RIBA Manser Medal (2004) for Meredith’s own home which was deemed the best one-of house by an architect in the UK. Tis particular house won two RIBA awards in 2012, for its exceptional sustainability and ‘Spirit of Ingenuity’. Meredith is active in promoting sustainable design and lectures widely. +44 (0)20 3795 5920 themodernhouse.com [email protected] Madingley Road
Te Tour Te house is set back from Madingley Road, amongst an area of tree-flled gardens on the western edge of Cambridge. It is uniquely concealed behind a brick gatehouse extension, which houses a workshop and garage that provides private of-street parking. Designed around a number of existing trees protected by a tree preservation order, displacement pile foundations were chosen to create minimum disturbance to the roots.
Te house was constructed using a timber frame, with clay blocks providing thermal mass, glulam beams supporting the roof space and a series of integrated ambient energy sources ensuring excellent energy efciency. Rainwater is harvested and stored in a tank underground, solar panels are used for the hot water supply and underfoor heating is generated from a ground source heat pump. Tere is also mechanical ventilation with a heat recovery system and low energy lighting ftted throughout. External ‘green walls’ are combined with timber cladding and insulated with hemp inside wood fbre panels for breathability. A green sedum roof spans the easterly wing for additional insulation and biodiversity.
Te primary entrance leads directly into a single south- facing corridor that provides circulation to all areas, while retaining a direct visual connection to the garden from every room. Te kitchen and dining room are arranged in an open- plan layout, with sliding glass doors opening the entire space onto the internal courtyard. Tere is an interconnected utility space and pantry store, and a study positioned adjacently. Te arterial corridor features deep bay windows which provide a lovely, quiet spot for reading or enjoying the view with a morning cofee; they could even be used as sleeping areas for visiting children.
Te three bedrooms are beautifully proportioned; each has an excellent provision of built-in storage and views onto hidden courtyards. Two of the bedrooms have direct access to the garden. Te main bedroom has a large en suite bathroom, with a garden view from the bath through a strategically placed low letterbox window. A family bathroom is fanked by the two other bedrooms and has a cleverly conceived mirrored skylight overhead, which frames a view of the Liquidambar tree.
South-East England Te beautifully light, open-plan living space is located on £2,000,000 Freehold the westerly wing of the house, where a large log-burner forms a natural focal point to the room. A ribbon of clerestory glazing and a wall of timber-framed glass walls invite an exceptional quality of natural light to food through; in the summer months, the entire space can be opened onto the garden.
+44 (0)20 3795 5920 themodernhouse.com [email protected] Madingley Road
Outdoor Space Te outside space is an immersive celebration of local wildlife, rich in biodiversity and teeming with fora and fauna; ducks make daily visits, as do plenty of birds, 19 species of butterfies, newts and dragonfies, which are drawn to the nature pond. Tere is an additional garden studio that ofers excellent fexibility of use, easily beftting an additional home workspace, music studio or overfow accommodation.
Te Area Te house can be found on Madingley Road on the westerly side of Cambridge, around 20 minutes’ walk from the centre and conveniently located near many of the university buildings. Although the city is relatively intimate in scale, it has a superb selection of shops, dining opportunities and cultural events, with Kettles Yard and Te Fitzwilliam Museum notable highlights.
Tere are plenty of green, open spaces within easy reach and delightful walking routes towards the River Cam, with Granchester Meadows ofering opportunities for wild swimming. Cambridge is world-renowned for its university and the quality of its historic architecture, yet is also increasingly recognised as an international business hub, thanks to its growing technology and science industries.
A direct train service runs from Cambridge to London St Pancras in approximately 50 minutes. Extensive intercity bus services also operate from nearby the house. Te South-East England motorway network is easily accessed, with the M11 around £2,000,000 Freehold one and a half miles away.
+44 (0)20 3795 5920 themodernhouse.com [email protected] About
Te Modern House is an estate agency that helps people live in more thoughtful and beautiful ways. We believe in design as a powerful force for good. Inspired by the principles of modernism, we represent design-led homes across the UK which celebrate light, space and a truth to materials. Esquire credits Te Modern House with “rewriting the rulebook on estate agency” and GQ voted us “one of the best things in the world”.
+44 (0)20 3795 5920 themodernhouse.com [email protected] N
Madingley Road
CAMBRIDGE
Bedroom Bedroom Bedroom 15'0 x 13'0 15'1 x 9'5 18'8 x 15'1 (4.56m x 3.97m) (4.59m x 2.86m) (5.69m x 4.59m) Study 11'5 x 6'1 (3.47m x 1.86m) Reception Room 24'11 x 21'0 (7.60m x 6.39m) Approximate Floor Area = 228.6 sq m / 2461 sq ft Outbuildings = 39.7 sq m / 427 sq ft (Excluding Open Space) Total = 268.3 sq m / 2888 sq ft Including Limited Use Area = 4 sq m / 43 sq ft T
Study Illustration for identification purposes only, B measurements are approximate, not to scale GROUND FLOOR VIEWING ARRANGEMENTS
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3795 5920 Kitchen / Dining Room Email: [email protected] 20'5 x 17'8 (6.22m x 5.39m)
Studio 15'0 x 7'11 (4.57m x 2.42m) Store
18'4 x 6'5 Store (5.60m x 1.95m) (Not Shown In Actual Utility Location / Orientation)
Garage Workshop 20'0 x 8'10 Entrance 14'6 x 7'7 (6.09m x 2.70m) (4.43m x 2.31m)
(Not Shown In Actual Location / Orientation) OUTBUILDINGS