Mineral House, Fall Hill Quarry

Mineral House, Fall Hill Quarry is an innovative and exemplary low carbon dwelling set within a SSSI former quarry in Derbyshire. FPCR’s Architecture Team alongside the practice’s Landscape, Arboriculture and Ecology teams have been working on the project since conception in 2018.

The site lies within open countryside with no current buildings and therefore the approach to achieve planning was via a paragraph 84e planning application approach in which through exceptional design the construction of a new, isolated home in the countryside could be granted planning permission. Within this, the argument was made that the build would have minimal visual impact upon the setting and instead enhance it with an exceptional new building and landscape.

The proposals have involved extensive consultation with stakeholders and two Design Review Panels and achieved planning consent in 2025 working alongside Rural Solutions Planners, Ecospheric (sustainability consultants) and the wider team.

The design approach recognised the unique landscape character of a manmade setting that has been reclaimed by nature and used a landscape led approach to create a new elevated living strata”. This will be North East Derbyshires first Passiv Haus plus building, sat into the contours of the quarry, with usable roof gardens at first floor, limestone walls ,brown roofs and ecological enhancements.