House of straw: Leyburn ecohouse is a world first

WHEN Ruth Barnett and Peter Richardson embarked on building their sustainable, energy-efficient house, complete with thick walls filled with sheep’s wool and straw bales bought from a local farmer, some questioned their sanity.

“A lot of people thought it was strange, going down the green route,” says Ruth. “Traders and suppliers would come on site, see the straw and the sheep’s wool and laugh and say ‘Where are the animals?’.”

“But you have to have faith,” says Peter, who recalls that, when the couple finally moved in last February, and it started snowing, they were wearing T-shirts inside because their home, complete with a roof covered in 29 solar panels and large, south-facing windows, was so warm. “The straw bales have a great capacity to absorb and store warmth, releasing it when it gets cooler,” explains Ruth.

In fact, this pioneering building, which has a heat recovery system, generates more electricity than it needs. And in their first year the couple, who have no conventional heating other than a rarely-used wood burner and three heated towel rails, only spent £180 on electricity. Yet they received £725 back through the feed-in tariff, a guaranteed payment for electricity generated from small renewable energy installations.

So who’s laughing now?

In addition, despite the fact they had to overcome fierce local opposition, including two planning refusals and a defeated appeal, their home has won major international recognition.

For this surprisingly cosy two-bedroom house on an elevated position on the outskirts of Leyburn is the first straw-bale insulated building in the world to reach the brand new ‘passive house plus’ standard, which recognises the on-site production of renewable energy as well as the energy-efficiency of the building.

Prior to this, the couple had always lived in old, period properties with wind rattling through the windows and draughts sweeping in under doors. Although they longed for something different.

London-born chartered surveyor Ruth, who fell in love with Yorkshire when she came to York to study for her master’s degree in building conservation 25 years ago, has always been interested in design. She first dreamed of building her dream ecological home 15 years ago when she read the book Building with Straw Bales by Barbara Jones. “It just clicked with me, the idea of building something you want, which is also energy efficient,” she says.

Ruth has been environmentally aware since the Eighties, when she first started recycling and using environmentally-friendly products. And she has never had a TV set or mobile phone.

Graphic designer Peter shared her passion for green architecture and modern design. “I believe people should push boundaries. It’s important to leave a legacy of good 21st century architecture behind, not just copies of Georgian or Victorian houses,” she says.

Based in a village outside Masham, it took them a year to find the ideal plot, in a conservation area in Leyburn. But due to antagonism and petitions from some locals, with Richmondshire District Council, the Civic Society and the Town Council all opposing the development, it took a further three years to finally get approval.

The couple always remained positive. “We didn’t enter into this thinking it would be easy. We knew planning was going to be difficult.”

Their architect Adam Clark, of Halliday Clark Architects in Ilkley, was used to dealing with this sort of opposition to modern design: “We dusted ourselves down, took the suggestions of the planners on board and tried again. Eventually it got through,” he explains.

With nothing else like it in the area, the three-storey house, with large, open plan rooms and an abundance of natural light, has attracted lots of attention in the small Dales market town. And Ruth is keen to point out that, while there was some support for the project locally from the beginning, many who initially objected have now changed their minds.

“People have come round at weekends to see it and we get quite a lot of people who wander up to look at it from the outside. If we’re about, we go out and talk to them. Most people who see it really like it.”

The house, although modern, is clad in local stone to blend in with the surroundings and, as Ruth says: “It works. There is nothing that says you can’t have a modern house in a conservation area, as long as you are respectful and sensitive to the buildings around you. The cladding means it fits in better than a lot of the red brick houses in the area.”

They are both thrilled with the result. “I think people should push more for the design they would like and stick by their guns. Planners are too timid,” says Peter. “We wanted to create something that is modern and 21st century, not a pastiche of a Victorian house. Why make something that looks a hundred years old? Our streets have evolved over centuries and 21st century architecture shouldn’t be hidden away.”

The couple even surprised themselves when, just as they were about to embark on the build, they decided to aim for the challenging ‘passive house’ status after being inspired by Thomas Froehlich, a German structural engineer based in Scotland, who suggested they should build to this particularly exacting standard.

They took a hands-on approach, with Ruth sourcing products and supervising on-site. “The daily involvement was intense,” she says. “We had to source materials compatible with passive house rules, but also planning and building regulations, as well as the engineer’s stipulations.”

When they first moved in, Ruth says, it took a while to adjust: “It felt a bit like camping out, with the huge, south-facing windows and long distance views. Although it’s airtight and draught-free, we’re so aware of the weather here.”

They did go a bit over budget: “These things always do.” But, ironically, the couple benefited from the long and, at times, frustrating delays. “It gave us quite a lot of time to think about it and a chance to source materials and products generally. We were not rushed into anything and that was key,” says Ruth.

She advises those thinking of embarking on a similar project to take their time making their decision: “You need a lot of patience and staying power. You need to be committed to it.” And she adds: “Get the right architect. You need someone who will fight for you, like Adam did for us.”

Their house could be the first of many; as a result of working on the project, a number of local tradespeople have developed specialisms in passive house construction. “We are proud of what we have achieved,” says Ruth, “and very happy with what we have got.”