Lane Top

Designed by the Kate for her own family, Lane Top is a personal exploration of sustainable living and modern form. This contemporary home balances refined design with low energy performance. Tucked into a quiet woodland clearing, the building features a striking exterior of charred timber cladding and linear concrete brick slips, combining natural texture with robust thermal performance.

Throughout the design, bold red accents bring a unifying visual thread from the custom steel stair and balustrades to the kitchen island,  rainwater goods, and key window frames. These carefully placed details add warmth and personality to the minimalist palette, creating moments of visual contrast and cohesion both inside and out.

The house is heated by wet underfloor heating set in polished concrete floors, powered by an air source heat pump (ASHP) to reduce carbon emissions. Solar panels integrated into the highest roof generate renewable electricity, while an MVHR system ensures fresh, filtered air and energy efficiency year round. The lower wildflower roofs help retain heat, whilst reducing water run off, improving biodiversity and blurring the roof edges to the rear paddock.

Large glazed openings frame views of the surrounding woodland and maximise passive solar gain, while the hybrid structure combining SIPs panels and masonry cavity walls optimises thermal performance and occupant comfort.

This is a home where personal vision and environmental design come together, demonstrating how thoughtful, self led architecture can deliver both beauty and sustainability.

Awards:

Shortlisted for Home Building and Renovating Magazine  / The Times / The Sunday Times 2024   ‘Best Self Build’.

Media:

January 2025 Home Building and Renovating Magazine – Awards shortlist

May 2025 Home Building and Renovating Magazine – Side by Side

2024 – The Modern House – Sales Listing

Credits:

Images provided by: Juliet Murphy Photography