Contemporary Country Lodge Retreat

The Project

Idyll Country Lodges is an off-grid natural building development which uses local material, much of it sourced on site, to construct earthen structures as has been the tradition in Banham for centuries. It delivers ‘sustainable development’ advancing Banham’s legacy of clay lump, daub, brick and tile making with a twenty-first century iteration of rammed earth construction. This exceptional development of wellbeing architecture will manage its own energy and water, with hidden solar PV, solar thermal, heat pumps and a massive in-ground thermal energy store delivering off-grid hot water all year round. High quality design to make best possible use of the site and innovation to capture the imagination are built in.

Idyll Country Lodges is designed to be a destination experience with natural living, wellbeing and a sense of hygge at its core. The season is extended to year round use with a private sheltered sun terrace, masonry heater, pizza oven, hot tub, sauna and steam room. The 60m natural swimming pond provides a chemical free, crystal clear soft water experience. Enlightened guests will enjoy guilt free luxury indoor/outdoor living, with space for privacy and space to socialise. Sensitive design with single floor living and natural materials give inclusive accommodation designed to deliver an exceptional guest experience.

Our Natural Building

Clay and sand sub-soil dug out for the foundations and pond will be used to build the structures, garden walling and other features around the site. Reclaimed and low embodied energy materials will be used extensively and imaginatively, such as Catalan vaulted ceilings providing high thermal mass with minimal virgin material brought on site. Structure efficiency is off the scale with an unprecedented independent Design SAP rating 131A, implying Idyll may be one of the most energy efficient developments in the country, offering a new benchmark for building performance in the UK.

The project will feature rammed earth, earthen floor, compressed earth blocks, clay & lime plaster, light straw clay, cob and expanded clay aggregate. So watch this space!

Sadly due to the current financial climate, the project has stalled. We are currently looking at an interim project, a small earthen building for two, that will give us valuable earth building experience. This will be an enabling step towards the main lodge building project when the general situation improves.

Our Mission

This website is all about the build phase, and a separate website will be developed in the future for the guest experience and booking. Idyll now has full Planning Consent and invites collaboration to be the best it can be, testing ideas, demonstrating technologies, reporting performance and showcasing an integration of art. Our performance, technologies, techniques and experience will be openly shared for the good of all. We would like to involve those interested in natural building, encouraging involvement, enabling unique life experiences and insights to future built possibilities. Idyll will influence and inspire others to follow by example.

For years to come guests will directly experience carbon free living, we will demonstrate that luxury and eco are not exclusive and effectively spread the eco word.

Innovation

Driven to be the best it can be, we have taken every effort to ensure every detail is considered and there for good reason. We develop, test and demonstrate new ideas to improve sustainability, ecology and wellbeing. We aim to inform, demonstrate and inspire all those who visit us, and ensure that everyone takes something away that makes the world a better place.

About Us

Kevin Whitefield

The designer and creator of the project, Kevin is a lifelong Engineer committed to a journey that will use natural materials and techniques, and consume minimal external resource. The result will go beyond net zero carbon and build a stunning destination experience.

Alison Whitefield

With a rich experience in art and education Alison will ensure that art is an integral element of our lodge experience and will ensure a stunning interior design. Her landscaping and garden design will blur the interface to bring the outside in.

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