The Forestry Commission has unveiled two timber frame homes designed to mix cutting-edge technology with traditional ways of life.
The semi-detached cottages at Anderwood in the New Forest are the first to be built on Crown lands in the area for half a century.
The three-bedroom homes feature high-grade insulation, geothermal heating, solar panels and grey-water recycling, with the timber used in their construction sourced from within eyeshot of the construction site.
The occupants are commoners in the forest, a traditional arrangement allowing people living in the area to put animals out to pasture and produce other useful products, such as fuelwood, from the land.
“Our prime aim was to create homes for two families following the forest’s ancient ‘commoning’ way of life so that we could help preserve the area’s cultural heritage,” said project manager Tony Cousins.
“We also set out to create a template for affordable housing and environmental responsibility for use across the region.”
In a further bid to aid future rural developments, outline designs for the houses are available from the Forestry Commission website, with the organisation also working in partnership with architect Roderick James Architects LLP to provide a half price offer for those wanting the designs worked up to a planning application conforming to Building Regulations.
