As the co-owner and director of sustainable developers Citu, it’s essential for Jonathan Wilson to live and breathe his work. So, two years ago, when he was in the early stages of designing the revolutionary zero-carbon Climate Innovation District in Leeds, Yorkshire, Jonathan set himself a brief to build a prototype home for him and his partner, Millie Duncan, a research fellow specialising in carbon reduction. Naturally, sustainability was at the brief’s heart. On its front cover he quoted the designer Dieter Rams: “Less but better.”

Jonathan has kept his word: the house is minimal in materials, design, objects and of course, energy use – but low-impact it isn’t. It’s located in the Secret Garden (yes, the address really is that pretty) of the Climate Innovation District, in front of the beautiful River Aire and has been designed to maximise the surrounding views, natural light and space. There are triple-height ceilings, pleasingly clean interiors and a mezzanine floor. But perhaps the most intriguing feature is the suspended net, which acts like a built-in trampoline – proof that you can have fun with design while taking the environment seriously. As their home comes on the market, Jonathan and Millie tell us of the design process, why less is more and why a trampoline will be a fixture in their future homes to come.

Jonathan: “At Citu, we refer to ourselves as place-makers, however, what we do is quite complex. Most importantly, we’re a purpose-led business, and that purpose is to tackle climate change by building new zero-carbon homes. Everything we do tags back to how we can help individuals and businesses reach zero carbon.”

Millie: “Sustainability is definitely very important to us. To live somewhere that is aligned with my priorities is vital. My main research area is currently the climate action plan for the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission – it’s quite amazing to be involved in the discussions I’m in across the region and to say I live in a Citu house. Living here has been a special experience.”

Jonathan: “When we were in the early stages of our development of the Climate Innovation District, which is where this house is located, it was imperative that I had my home within it. From day one, the principle was always less but better. It’s something we never let go of. Rather than having a traditional brief – say, the home must fit four bedrooms – ours was that the architecture had to be space- and light-led. We wanted to break rules and make sure the home captures the right views at the right time of day.

“We’ve designed the home using the highest environmental standards, modelling the building performance throughout all stages of design. It’s very much fabric first – you get the fabric right and then you deal with the interior. Often in the construction and housing industry sustainability has the connotation that it costs more and is about adding things to a building. This was about removing elements, stripping it back – how we can do less but in the right way, minimising the materials we use.

“We spent six months designing the home and thinking of the ideas behind it. Most of the time was spent thinking about how we can get the suspended net into the void so you can lie over a double-height space underneath the skylight. The idea can be credited to myself and one of our product owners – we wanted to dispel the idea that you need to shut rooms off; it was about ripping up that rulebook and saying, does it really matter if your room on the top floor blends with the living space below?”

Millie: “I was definitely surprised when I first heard about the net. I’ve never been in a house with something like it, so it was super exciting. Seeing it go into the space was crazy. I’m a bit scared of heights but it hasn’t been a problem at all. I absolutely love it and wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Jonathan: “The site work took a further six months and there was a lot of trial and error. We moved many walls once we were working on it, when things didn’t line up or we didn’t get the view we wanted. It was very much the prototype house.

“The design is very contemporary – but even people who aren’t into that particular aesthetic fall in love with the house. This house was designed to allow calm – we didn’t want to be surrounded by stuff. People compare it to an art gallery, which is a compliment I love. The architecture was very much designed to sit in the background – the space, light, artwork, materials do the talking.”

Millie: “It’s very minimal and our goal was to declutter and just live a clean life. It’s fantastic – it’s 100% a reflection of my taste. This house is so unique – it had certainly the ‘wow’ factor when I first walked into the living space. It has such a different feel from anything else I’ve been in. I grew up in an old Victorian house that was very dark and cold, so that natural light made such a first big impression.”

Jonathan: “There are a number of spaces that are fantastic at different times of the day. There is something impactful about sitting under the triple-height void space, which is to the rear of the house. We have a bath in the bedroom on the top floor, and during the evening, the streetlight outside will reflect from the water and on the ceiling.

“We use the net every evening. Lying there, you can see the stars through the skylight above on a clear evening. We’ve got a projector up there too, so we often throw some pillows down and watch a film. The house was designed around our lifestyle: we don’t have any children, we entertain on a regular basis – and every time that we do, everyone ends up on the trampoline at the end of the night.”

Millie: “We love having people round for dinner and our downstairs space is ideal for that – you can easily cook, talk, host, eat, and drink there. The rest of the house is a bit more private, something we relax into.

“One of my other favorite spaces is our bedroom. There are floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the rivers and trees. It feels like you could be in the middle of the countryside, even though you’re a 10-minute walk from Leeds city centre. I’m going to miss being directly on the riverfront. It will be sad to leave, but I’m also very excited for the next chapter as well.”

Jonathan: “By nature of what I do, I like passing things on for other people to enjoy. We’re moving to one of the other projects that we’re doing on-site in the Climate Innovation District. I am very excited because it means we can try some new ideas and continue the prototyping journey. But I think whatever happens in the future, we’ll have to have a net – that’s going to be non-negotiable. It will stay with us forever. And wherever we go, less will always be more.”