Dowen Farmer Architects has completed an exceptional cluster of six two-story, three-bedroom houses on a secluded backland site in Honor Oak, London. The innovative development, which finished construction in June 2025 after breaking ground in February 2024, represents a thoughtful approach to sustainable urban housing that harmonizes with its natural woodland setting.
The houses are strategically arranged around a communal garden that centers on a mature London plane tree, which serves as the visual and social anchor for the entire scheme. This landscape-led approach drew direct inspiration from the pioneering work of Walter Segal, particularly his nearby Walters Way housing development. The project adopts similar construction methods to Segal's influential designs, featuring timber frame structures raised on lightweight stilts that eliminate the need for conventional foundations while protecting the numerous tree roots throughout the sloping wooded site.
This innovative construction method not only minimizes environmental impact but also accelerates the building process while providing a low-carbon construction approach. The development achieves exceptional environmental performance through a comprehensive suite of sustainable technologies, including air source heat pumps, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR), photovoltaic panels, triple-glazed windows, green roofs, and highly insulated Structural Insulated Panel (SIPs) systems. These features resulted in impressive A-rated Energy Performance Certificates with 96-point scores across all homes.
Interior finishes reflect the project's commitment to quality and sustainability, featuring heated terrazzo floors, carbon-neutral timber kitchens and joinery, birch plywood window reveals, and British-made timber windows and doors. The timber cladding serves as both an aesthetic defining element and a reflection of the project's environmental philosophy, helping the structures blend seamlessly with their woodland surroundings.
James Dowen, director of Dowen Farmer Architects, emphasized the project's contextual approach: "The moment we stepped onto the woodland site behind 105 Honor Oak Park, its potential was unmistakable. Beneath the canopy of mature trees, with dappled light filtering through, we knew this wasn't just another corner of south-east London; it was something more elemental, more captivating." He noted that the site had a troubled planning history with multiple failed applications before their successful 2022 approval.
The architectural team studied the adjacent Walters Way development extensively, finding inspiration not just in its celebrated self-build ethos but in its tessellated layout and the synergy between built form and woodland. Dowen explained that their approach evolved into a radial configuration of homes centered around the mature London plane tree, with the landscape leading and architecture following. The steep, tree-covered slope presented challenges, as virtually the entire site was covered by Root Protection Areas and protected trees.
The client, Silvercrow, had observed the backland site for over 20 years before the project came to fruition. A company representative noted: "Having lived in the area for over 20 years I had been fondly aware and curious of the backland site nestled discretely opposite One Tree Hill in this leafy haven of southeast London. From the outset, our vision was to build a small, design-led community of homes that felt rooted in the landscape and responded to the growing demand for sustainable living."
The development represents a significant investment, with a total construction cost of £1.8 million, translating to £3,030 per square meter. The project encompasses 594 square meters of gross internal floor area and 720 square meters when including external spaces. The homes achieve remarkable environmental performance with an overall area-weighted U-value of 0.19 W/m²K, airtightness of 1.23 m³/h.m² at 50Pa, and on-site energy generation of 91.3%, while maintaining low annual mains water consumption of 35 m³ per occupant.
The project team included PCC Consultants as structural engineers, CentreLine as mechanical and electrical consultants, SAPS UK as energy consultants, and GRDN as landscape consultants. Maddox served as planning consultants, while Silvercrow took on multiple roles including executive architect, client, quantity surveyor, project manager, principal designer, CDM coordinator, and main contractor.
The houses themselves sit lightly in the landscape, with timber-clad, deck-accessed structures nestled under the tree canopy, evoking Scandinavian woodland cabins rather than typical suburban London infill development. The result creates a collection of homes that inhabit rather than dominate the landscape, offering residents respite and reflection while providing a counterbalance to urban density. The development has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both buyers and the wider community, who have embraced the scheme as an exemplary model of how small-scale development can be both respectful of its environment and forward-thinking in its approach to sustainable living.
