Don’t be fooled by the garden—beneath this manicured lawn lies a stunning, luxurious subterranean mansion with strong eco-credentials. Designed by architect James Bell, the underground two-story home, called Perdu, sits beneath the grounds of Bowdon in Manchester. The two-story circular home is bathed in a surprising amount of natural light and is nearly net-zero energy thanks to rainwater harvesting, a solar tube hot water system, and a ground source heat pump. There’s even a water slide that can whisk users from the master bedroom straight into a subterranean swimming pool.
UK firms Huntsmere and NC Homes developed the Perdu mansion, which is listed as an available property with a guide price of £2 million; however, it’s possible the home has already been sold. According to Messenger, Huntsmere opted to build beneath ground to avoid the development restrictions in the Bowdon conservation area, a decision that had been approved by Trafford’s planning committee. The underground home features a radial plan arranged around a central atrium that, in addition to four ground-level light wells, let in natural light.
Related: Architect Alex Michaelis Went Underground to Build His Elegant Notting Hill Home
The underground home is accessed through a “classical garden folly,” a privet garden enclosed by a manicured laurel hedge. A flight of stairs leads down to the first level that comprises the main living spaces including the kitchen, lounge, dining room, and master bedroom with dressing room and en-suite bathroom. The triangular and wedge-shaped rooms wrap around the central atrium. A second staircase also provides access to the second level, but more adventurous types can choose instead to take a waterslide from the master bedroom above directly down to a spacious swimming pool fed by an 8-meter-tall and 12-meter-wide wall of water. This lower leisure area also includes a pool bar, changing rooms, jacuzzi, gym, and two extra bedrooms, both with dressing room and en-suite bathrooms.
The innovative Perdu house also purports to incorporate the highest standards in renewable design to achieve nearly net-zero energy. The environmentally friendly elements include a ground source heat pump, state-of-the-art ventilation and heat recovery system, rainwater harvesting, solar tube system for hot water, and an energy-efficient lighting system with low-energy light bulbs that consumes 80 percent less electricity than a standard system. Since the building is underground, the house also benefits from the earth’s insulating properties to keep warm naturally in the winters while staying cool in summers.
Via My Modern Met
Images via Huntsmere
