Tarn Moor is a climate scientist’s eco home that, unsurprisingly, walks the talk on sustainability—without compromising on design. Perched in the Surrey Green Belt, this striking family home makes the most of its incredible setting, with a dramatic butterfly roof that frames sweeping views and brings in plenty of natural light. But this place is more than just a pretty face—it’s a thoughtful, low-impact build that proves sustainable living doesn’t have to break the bank.
The whole project was driven by a clear mission: reduce carbon emissions from the ground up—literally. Instead of a standard new build, the team reused the footprint of the original house, avoided concrete, and explored flexible, low-impact foundations. A glulam timber frame forms the bones of the home, creating a clean grid that allows for adaptable internal spaces. Inside, nearly everything tells a reuse story—from second-hand finishes to the show-stopping eBay kitchen that was reworked to fit the space like a glove.
What makes Tarn Moor truly stand out is how it blends bold design with serious eco-credentials—on a modest budget. The house is packed with clever, climate-friendly features like crushed foam glass insulation (made from recycled bottles), aggregate foundations that skip the concrete altogether, and limecrete flooring that actually reabsorbs CO₂. Locally sourced knapped flint wraps parts of the exterior, giving it texture and timelessness with hardly any embodied energy.
The timber structure itself does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to sustainability, but the house goes further with solar panels, a ground-source heat pump, and MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) to keep the interior comfortable and energy-efficient year-round. Even the unconventional winged roof plays a role—it’s a creative take on CLT (cross-laminated timber) technology and helps the building sit lightly on the land.
Sustainability Features of the climate scientist’s eco home
- Glulam timber frame
- Aggregate foundations instead of concrete
- CLT (cross-laminated timber) roof
- Reclaimed kitchen from eBay
- Crushed foam glass insulation (made from recycled bottles)
- Limecrete flooring (reabsorbs CO₂)
- MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery)
- Ground-source heat pump
Even better, the home was built on a budget of £700,000, demonstrating that you can build sustainably, beautifully, and affordably. It’s a home that’s flexible enough to adapt to future needs, and smart enough to challenge the throwaway culture that dominates so much of modern construction.
This warm and inviting eco home is brimming with thoughtful choices, smart design, and a whole lot of heart.
