Three years ago Sarah Nelson, a successful local artist, left Rye Harbour and moved up north, back to her roots. She had a plan to build an eco-friendly home and studio and was featured on Grand Designs with Kevin McCloud at the beginning of October.
Where did the ideas come from for your highly innovative home and studio design, and what was your inspiration?
By the time I moved, I had already bought the field with planning permission. Then I went looking for a green architect and I couldn’t find one that would suit my needs and ideas. I filled a form in on the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) website, putting in a brief description of my project and was contacted by Elliot Architects of Hexham. I liked their work as they were the closest in aesthetics to my ideas. We had a meeting and when I returned a few weeks later they gave me four options. I loved Option A and that is what I built.
How did you decide on which materials to use?
This was what I next turned my attention. I wanted the building to pay for itself, to generate enough of its own energy so that it cost very little to run. Originally I wanted wind and solar but quickly realised a 5kw wind turbine was prohibitively expensive, so settled for solar only, to power the air source heat pump. The ASHP would power the underfloor heating and hot water.
I was listening to a building podcast one day and heard this guy called Dr Tom Wooley, who is known as Mr. Hemp, talking about hempcrete. Something resonated with me: I loved that hempcrete sequesters carbon, that it is a natural material and that it is very thermally efficient, so I met with the architects and said that was the road I was going down. All the plans had to be adjusted because the internal walls would need to be twice as thick. Lots of things did not go to plan!
Were there times throughout the build when you felt that you wanted to give up?
Giving up was not an option- I was too far into the project. This was my dream and I was going to see it through to the end.
Your boys helped with the build didn’t they?
They were amazing, really amazing. They worked so hard. Noah was in a tent, Hector was in a caravan with me and they gave me loads of support.
Who believed in you the most? Was it yourself?
Yes, it was me. As the project went along, I definitely had a vision. I could see how special it was going to be and also had tremendous support from my lovely farming community which has been just amazing. They really boosted me on days when things were not going to plan. They used to stop by in the morning, asking how I was getting on and coming to help if I needed it. They’re really busy, really busy farmers but they found the time.
What day was the best day of the build?
I think that there were three ‘best’ days: one, when it was finished; the second, when the hempcreting was finished, which was an was incredible achievement. And the third best day was when everybody was here for filming, when Kevin came at the end and he was so complimentary about my vision and my achievement.
You must have been so proud.
Well, it’s funny, people say, am I proud? But I don’t really feel proud. I feel… I feel just really… relieved.
Kevin McLeod always comes across as knowledgeable and supportive. What was the best advice that he offered you?
He was really supportive and encouraging.
Here are a few quotations from the show:
“Any good building should be an instrument of connection, not isolation,” Charles Moore, American architect and teacher.
“It is to the artists that we should look to show us the way forward,” (an abbreviated version of a quotation attributed to Leonard Bernstein).
And then the last question: if you had your time over, would you do it again?
Would I do it again? I would, well, I would build again, yes. If I could, if I could start from scratch. I might try and build something simpler. Hindsight’s a marvellous commodity. But I loved this. As soon as I saw this building, I absolutely loved it, and at that point, any sensibility seemed to leave me. But if I were to build again in the future, I would be looking at a simpler shape.
Sarah’s aim is to establish a creative hub within the rural Northeast. She wants her studio to be shared with people who have or desire creativity in their lives.
People can engage with the project by attending a weekend residential art workshop (from February / March 2026) dates to be announced in the newsletter (sign up via website).
“Enjoy a weekend of creativity in the hempcrete home / studio, be inspired by enthusiastic and encouraging tuition and enjoy panoramic views of the Dales and North Pennines while being based in an upland hay meadow.”
Sarah’s artwork is available to buy on her website, too.
Image Credits: Stephen Landells , Sarah Nelson , Sarah Nelson .