London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Raised in Just 10 Days, This Airtight Prefab Is a Lesson in Efficiency

Raised in Just 10 Days, This Airtight Prefab Is a Lesson in Efficiency

This stunning forest retreat in England uses prefabricated panels to minimize site impact, shorten construction time, and protect against weather.

London-based architecture and design studio Alma-nac designed House in the Woods, a contemporary home surrounded by pristine forest in England’s South Downs National Park to replace a decrepit, 1950s bungalow. The new 240-square-meter dwelling retains the former building’s simple gabled form and footprint, but offers greater flexibility with its ability to change from a single bedroom home to five bedrooms for large family gatherings. The project’s construction value was approximately $830,000, not including value-added tax.

To speed up construction and to create a weathertight envelope, House in the Wood’s superstructure was prefabricated offsite using structurally-insulated panels. The external walls are clad in thermally-treated timber and hand-cut brick, while natural slate tops the sloped roof.



"Nowadays, timber is no longer considered an insulating material in energy-efficient design: it is a cold bridge in wall and roof construction," says Alman-ac partner Tristan Wigfall. "Constructed using SIPs (Structurally Insulated Panels) technology, panelized construction far out-performs timber frame methods both in terms of thermal efficiency and airtightness of the completed structure."

Each panel of rigid insulation, lined on each side with timber skins, stretches the height of the full story and carries the building load. After all the wall/floor junctions are sealed, the resulting building is both incredibly airtight and thermally insulated. This lowers the heating requirement in winter and, thanks to passive ventilation via Velux roof lights, keeps the interior comfortable in summer.



To complement the highly insulated construction, floors were built with concrete that function as "heat sinks," storing heat during the day and releasing that heat at night. If the homeowners do need heating, they can use the air source heat pump-powered underfloor heating installed in the concrete slabs, localized radiators, or a wood-burning stove. A heat-recovery unit continually introduces fresh air into the airtight home.



Designed to embrace the outdoors, House in the Woods features large glazed openings on the west side to emphasize indoor-outdoor living and offer direct access to the landscaped garden. A large roof terrace provides elevated views.



The social areas of the home are tucked into the south side with a large fireplace dividing the full-width living room from the kitchen and dining areas.



The bedrooms are located on the more private, northern end of the building, with the master bedroom and a spare room placed on the upper floor. Full-height sliding partitions can be used to cordon off areas or create additional bedrooms when needed.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×