Online booking for this seminar is now closed. To be added to the waiting list for consideration in the case of cancellation please email Sarah.Miller@riba.org
Combe Manor Farm is an extraordinary piece of architecture nestled into the landscape of the Sussex/Kent border. Its recent completion follows a decade of careful construction and attention to detail by Ena Bodin, its Danish designer, contractor and client and her team. Sustainability was high on the list of considerations for both material selection and performance. The house is designed to PassivHaus principles, with high levels of thermal insulation and airtightness and very low energy use, assisted by the thermal mass of the exposed concrete structure internally. Materials include locally sourced sweet chestnut timber for both external and internal cladding and lime plaster. The concrete itself is pigmented, waterproofed, and self-compacting, an innovative combination of concrete technologies...and it looks stunning.
This event offers the opportunity to visit this private house and its grounds and learn about its journey of design and construction directly from the team involved. This includes the route to planning approval, low energy strategy and fabric performance for PassivHaus as well as achieving high quality exposed cast in situ concrete internal surfaces, which includes polished concrete floors and an internal swimming pool.
Detailed agenda
09:30 |
Registration and refreshments |
10:00 |
Welcome by RIBA SE and The Concrete Centre. |
10:10 |
Introduction and overview, Ena Bodin, Bodin and Nielsen Ltd. Designer/Owner/Contractor |
10:10 - 12:00 |
Exploration of the house and grounds in groups.
Professionals will be stationed in different parts of the house to give talks and answer questions about specific elements of design and construction. Those giving a short talk include:
- Robert Sakula - AshSakula Architects
- Simon Brown from Tarmac - previously Lafarge
- Nick Walker - Inge Ltd - M&E engineers
- Roger Nightingale - Kember Loudon Williams -Planning & Development Consultants
- Ian Flewit - Price & Myers - Structural Engineers
- Frederik Rissom - R2Studio
- Tony Binns - Concrete consultant
Short films of the construction process, and design drawings will be available to view. |
12:00 - 13:00 |
Informal lunch and conversation |
Transport can be provided to and from the local train station before at the beginning and end of the event.