A zero-carbon house based on medieval architecture has been unveiled in Kent as a possible blueprint for future housing.

Currently around a quarter of all carbon emissions in the UK come from households and the government has set a target for all new homes to be zero-carbon by 2016. There are only a handful of homes that are zero-carbon at the moment but many designs are too expensive to consider for mass production.

The house – named Crossway – uses many techniques from the olden days to make it as green as possible. With less access to fuel and fewer ways to keep themselves warm, our ancestors were keen to make sure they stayed as cosy as possible. Timbrel vaulting – or its predecessor Catalan vaulting – dates back to 1382 and Crossways also makes use of the age-old technique of covering the roof with dirt and earth. The structure does away with the need for materials such as reinforced concrete and instead recycled newspaper help is used to give the house extra insulation.

Dr Michael Ramage who helped design the house said: “The vaulting gives the house plenty of structural strength but obviates the need for embodied-energy intensive materials such as reinforced concrete.

“It also provides it with great thermal mass, enabling the building to retain heat, absorb fluctuations in temperature and reducing the need for central heating or cooling systems.”

The design is winning plaudits among the eco-friendly although some architects aren’t completely won over by the design.