Passive House–Inspired Ecokit Home ● Witchcliffe Ecovillage
Tranquility House
Designed by Matt Burleigh ● In collaboration with Ecokit Homes
Tranquility House is a high-performance eco home designed by Cynosure Architecture in collaboration with Ecokit for a compact residential lot within the Witchcliffe Ecovillage. The project adapts an Ecokit base model using Passive House principles to prioritise comfort, efficiency and low-impact living, while carefully responding to the site’s orientation, existing ancillary dwelling and village setting.
Rather than starting from excess, the design begins with restraint. The home is deliberately compact, carefully positioned, and shaped around performance first - orientation, envelope quality, and comfort - before aesthetics. Materials are selected for longevity and low maintenance, circulation is efficient without feeling tight, and every space earns its place.
Outdoor rooms and planting are treated as extensions of the architecture, allowing the house to breathe seasonally while maintaining a strong connection to the Ecovillage landscape. The result is a quietly confident home that values comfort over size, efficiency over excess, and adaptability over trend - a place designed to live well now and continue performing for decades to come.
A restrained material palette and carefully articulated building envelope define Tranquility House, grounding the project within the Witchcliffe Ecovillage while prioritising long-term performance. Lightweight cladding, deep reveals and integrated shading elements are combined to support passive solar control, durability and low maintenance, rather than visual excess. Openings are positioned to maximise northern light and cross-ventilation, reinforcing comfort through design rather than reliance on mechanical systems.
Tranquility House is not about excess, but about making smart decisions early - starting with the choice to build using the Ecokit system. Rather than a conventional custom build, the project adapts a prefabricated Ecokit base as a framework for a high-performance home, allowing quality, efficiency and comfort to be prioritised from the outset. This approach offers a clear, well-resolved starting point while still leaving room for architectural refinement and personalisation.
Designed to support an owner-builder pathway, the home balances buildability with performance. The compact footprint, rational structure and simplified detailing reduce construction complexity while maintaining a strong focus on Passive House–inspired principles, thermal comfort and durability. Light-filled interiors, a calm material palette and carefully considered outdoor spaces ensure the house feels generous and welcoming, despite its modest scale.
The result is a high-performance Ecokit home that empowers the owners to take an active role in the construction process - delivering a resilient, efficient and thoughtfully designed residence that will continue to perform well long after completion.