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Hockerton Housing Project: A conservatory
The homes consists of a terrace of five single storey dwellings which are earth-sheltered at the rear (North), such that the ground surface slopes and blends smoothly into the field at the back.

Each house is 6 metres deep with a large 19 metre south-facing conservatory running the full width of each dwelling. Most of the internal rooms have 3 metre high French windows that open to the conservatory.

A common vision conjured up by an earth-shelter is a dark & dingy one, where hobbits and troglodytes might be more at home.

So are the homes dark and dingy? Absolutely not! The homes are designed to maximise light penetration in the winter, when it is most desired.

The sloping roof, high at the front, and loss of leaves from the nearby trees allows the low winter sun to penetrate to the back of the buildings.

In the summer the homes self-shade themselves from the high sun, helping to keep them cool.

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