Earth House, Herefordshire

Earth House is a residential project in Herefordshire designed by Communion Architects, with a strong emphasis on locality, material sourcing, and working directly with the land it sits within.

Xylotek was responsible for the fabrication design and coordination of the house’s structural packages, bringing together a wide range of prefabricated elements that were assembled on site.

The structure includes prefabricated timber wall panels, a green oak post-and-beam frame, steel framing, CLT roof panels, engineered joists, and softwood components. All oak used for the frame was sourced directly from trees on the estate, felled as part of a wider ash dieback response and forestry management plan, developed in partnership with the Forestry Commission. The timber was processed locally through Whitney Sawmill, keeping the material journey closely tied to the site.

A defining feature of the house is its curved and straight rammed earth walls, formed using soil excavated on site. While these walls were outside Xylotek’s direct scope, they were a key element of the build, and we worked closely with the design and construction teams to ensure the structural packages integrated cleanly with the earth walls and aligned with the overall build sequence.

Given the mix of materials and construction systems, careful coordination was essential. A detailed 3D structural model was developed to resolve complex interfaces between timber, steel, CLT, and adjacent elements before fabrication and construction began.

Earth House brings together locally sourced materials and prefabricated structural systems in a highly considered way, reflecting a collaborative approach between design, fabrication, and construction. The project is currently nearing completion, with final works expected to conclude in spring next year.