London-based architects Knox Bhavan have designed a new house and studio in a Hertfordshire village for a client who became paralysed from the shoulders down following a life-changing accident as a teenager. The house stands on the same lane where the client grew up and replaces a poorly built 1950s chalet bungalow, maintaining a similar size. Knox Bhavan utilised a prefabricated cassette system, developed in collaboration with modular manufacturer BlokBuild and engineers Price & Myers.
The building features a T-shaped plan centred around two courtyards, with open-plan rooms designed to accommodate wheelchair use. Sliding pocket doors enable long sightlines through expansive glazing. All key areas, including the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living spaces, and adjoining studio, are located on the ground floor around the courtyards. The double-height dining room opens to both the front and rear gardens through wide sliding doors, while the TV area is distinguished by its lower ceiling. The bedroom opens directly onto the garden, and the bathroom, with its large windows, offers garden views, with both spaces designed to receive abundant natural light.
The studio is accessed from the entrance hall and features a sky-lit space overlooking the front courtyard. The ground floor also includes a carer’s bedroom, with a lift providing access to the upper floor, which contains two additional bedrooms and a kitchenette for a second carer or guests. The building’s massing and form are influenced by the sun’s movement, ensuring ample natural light and maximizing winter solar gain. The 12-degree roof pitch integrates photovoltaic panels on the southwest face, and an overhang provides shade and a covered route from vehicles to the front door. The cassette construction system allows for minimal waste, quick assembly, and good insulation and thermal performance, with durable, self-finished materials like SiOO:x larch timber used for the exterior. Photo © Edmund Sumner. Knox Bhavan
