February 25, 2025

Designing Paragraph 84 Houses of Exceptional Quality

Written by Michelle Martin

Fortune Favours the Brave

A Recap of the Paragraph 84 Event at Sky House Design Centre

The event at Sky House Design Centre on February 13th truly encapsulated the spirit of bold innovation and creative thinking in architecture. It was clear from the conversations and presentations that pushing boundaries and tackling challenges head-on was a shared theme.

Inset- Foxglove House by KFM – 4 bed low carbon dwelling

David Kirkland of Kirkland Fraser Moor – Three Country Houses 

David’s talk was especially insightful and edifying, sharing three beautiful and sustainable architectural country houses demonstrating his extensive experience in navigating the often-complex world of town planning. He deftly handled questions that could have been tricky, such as enquiries about achieving specific planning goals in rural or restricted areas. His message was clear: through creative and lateral thinking, designers can find ways around the red tape. The most memorable part was his comment that “innovative designs can simply be something which has not been done in the region before.” And indeed, by this logic, if it’s never been done, it’s innovative! 

Inset Mill Hill by Poulson Architecture - 20m2 MARS rooflight by IQ Glass

Tim Poulson of Poulson Architecture – Mill Hide, an Exceptional house in the Countryside 

Tim, on the other hand, captivated the audience with his presentation of Mill Hide, an exemplary sustainable home shortlisted for the RIBA East Award 2025. His unique project was not just an architectural vision but a true personal endeavor. Tim wore three hats as architect, contractor, and client, and his deep connection to the local landscape of Cambridgeshire truly shone through. Inspired by the area's wetland terrain and his admiration for Palladio’s Villa Rotunda, Tim crafted a single-floor, floating dwelling with a stunning courtyard and piazza at its heart. The design seamlessly merges his love for classical architecture with the natural environment. 

One standout feature of Mill Hide was the striking 20m² sliding rooflight by IQ, which Tim proudly described as the “piece de resistance.” This element not only adds a dramatic visual element but also reinforces the overall sense of openness and connection to the landscape. 

Both talks underscored the importance of innovation and thinking outside the box, as well as the incredible impact of design that challenges norms and embraces bold ideas. At the end of the day, it was evident that in architecture, as in life, fortune favours the brave.

Inset - David kirkland of KFM sharing insights

Rebecca Clayton, Director at IQ Glass spoke about designing glass to reduce light spill in buildings with expansive elevations of glass and how to mitigate the disruption to wildlife through specialist glazing coatings reducing glare when designing exemplary homes on the greenbelt.  

Inset - Rock Cove with special glazing designed to reduce light spill

Rebecca concluded that there are lots of ways to change the light performance of your glass design to achieve the light transmission you need for planning. The IQ team can take the performance requirements and do the hard work for you, providing you with the best options for the glass design to achieve both the design and performance needed. 

After the Keynotes..

Attendees were offered guided tours to see some of the innovative glazing systems recently installed, plus the Avino Atelier timber showroom, and explore the other brands at Sky House who were offering product demos, including a professional Bora chef courtesy of Watermark GB. 

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Are you currently designing a country clause house and have a requirement for high-performance glazing with reduced visible light spill?  Contact our friendly team today! hello@iqglassuk.com 

*NPPF Paragraph 84 

Planning policies and decisions should avoid the development of isolated homes in the countryside unless one or more of the following circumstances apply: 
 
a) There is an essential need for a rural worker, including those taking majority control of a farm business, to live permanently at or near their place of work in the countryside; 
 
b) The development would represent the optimal viable use of a heritage asset or would be appropriate enabling development to secure the future of heritage assets; 
 
c) The development would re-use redundant or disused buildings and enhance its immediate setting; 
 
d) The development would involve the subdivision of an existing residential building; or 
 
e) The design is of exceptional quality, in that it: 
- is truly outstanding, reflecting the highest standards in architecture, and would help to raise standards of design more generally in rural areas; and 
 
- Would significantly enhance its immediate setting, and be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area.*