Carl Turner Slip House: Sustainable, modern living redefined

Carl Turner Architects of London have developed an award-winning sustainable home that takes sustainable, modern architecture to a whole new level. The Slip House, as it came to be known,  is set in a row of terraced Victorian homes in Brixton, in the Borough of Lambeth in South London. It utilizes very little space as the home builds from the bottom up in varied “slips”. The box shaped slips are staggered to break up the mass of the home.

The top floor is clad in milk glass planks that extend above the building to create a private rooftop deck. By night, the Sliphouse glows softly.  The ground floor serves as a multi-functional space, perhaps an entertainment area, office or playroom. The upper floor serve as a piano nobile, a great room design for living room, dining area and kitchen and, in between, in the middle box, are the bedrooms.

So how is this a green home?

Architects Carl Turner and Mary Martin love the idea of minimalism and that of a sustainable environment. The rooftop is houses a row of solar panels that power a ground source heat pumps, allowing for a thermal store beaneath the building. There is also technology for rain water harvesting, a wildflower roof, reduced water consumption features and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery within an airtight envelope.

By applying this host of energy efficient features, the home has been awarded a Level 5 for sustainable homes,  and with that is one of the most energy efficient  homes in the UK.

The Slip House also reintroduces the idea of “living above shop”, combining living quarters and large spaces of any function for a live/work solution that is becoming more and more popular.

The architecture is minimalist and in stark contrast to the traditional homes in the neighborhood. Our question to you is: How do you feel about edgy modern, but very energy efficient, architecture juxtaposed against a more traditional neighborhood? We would love to hear your thoughts.

Images: Carl Turner Architects and Dezeen