As we know, Britain’s weather is temperamental and we are always looking for clever ways to adapt to this unpredictability.
And one home has taken this objective to the next level.
A £1million ‘sliding home’ that adjusts to the changing seasons by exposing its glass structure in summer and sheltering it in winter is now on sale.
The unique three-bed property in Huntingfield, Suffolk, is covered by a moving ‘wooden casing’ that has enthralled potential buyers.
Footage shows how the glass-fronted conservatory area of the home is sheltered by its innovative shell. However, the walls and roof can slide backwards to fully expose it to the rays of the sun.
The transformation takes six minutes in total and also reveals an open-air bathroom on the first floor and a previously covered courtyard.
It finishes the solar-powered retraction over a detached annex, which holds the third bedroom and another living area.
The incredible home was designed by architect, Alex de Rijke, who described the moving shell as ‘like wearing a puffer jacket’ that can be retracted to let heat into the home and reinstated to keep it in.
The home won Grand Design ‘Home of the Year’ award when it was completed in 2009.
‘It allows you to have the best of both worlds, shelter or openness,’ Alex noted.
‘The basis of the design is that you can transform a house in many ways. You can put the insulation where you need it when you need it.
‘It differs from most designs that are fixed where you have to assume that the climate is the same all year round. This structure is like wearing a puffer jacket.
‘The client wanted to build a glass house to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. An all-glass house would get too hot or too cold, but this design makes it possible.
‘It’s not only about thermal control. It’s the joy of transformation. It’s not a static object. Everything changes because the roof serves to connect or disconnect the buildings.
‘The perfect person for this house would be someone who not only understands it but looks after it and isn’t afraid to contact me in order to make changes if they want to.’
Alex claims the solar and wind-powered home doesn’t need to take any power from the national grid. Meanwhile, the shell can even be removed completely to make a ‘free-standing barn’.
Alex explained that the original owner wanted to retire to a house in a nearby town that has less land to manage than his current three-and-a-half-acre plot.
The innovative home is now listed on Rightmove for £1million.
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