The new dwelling was located within a garden of and existing house in the centre of Guildford. The design was carefully considered to ensure minimum impact to the surrounding area. It was the intention that the new dwelling would ‘dissolve‘ into the hillside and be all but invisible from the neighbouring properties above, where the view is of a Sedum (grass) roof. From the street, the view is mainly large areas of translucent glass, with very little solid external wall showing. The levels around the new eco house were re-graded to ensure that the new structure blends into the hillside. The building was set back and was partly buried into the hillside to minimise heat loss. The main living areas are located on the upper ground floor with the bedrooms located below and unoccupied areas such as the storage/utility room positioned to the rear of the building, buried underground. A ground source heat pump provided the heating for the building with solar panels and a rainwater harvesting tank. Natural ventilation features were integrated into the design to minimise the potential for overheating and to avoid the need for mechanical cooling. The flat roof to the upper and lower ground floors is a living Sedum roof which benefits both the occupants and the wider environment.