Wild House

Wild House: Passivhaus Premium education, wellbeing and nature recovery

Climate action, nature learning, built to give back

Set in the heart of Wilder Doddington, the Wild House England’s first Passivhaus Premium non-domestic building.

A pioneering centre for learning and research into wildlife, ecology, freshwater habitats, natural flood management and large-scale nature recovery, it also supports volunteering, nature-based wellbeing and sustainable construction. It serves as the operational base for Wilder Doddington, including Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) transactions and the Lincoln and Witham Landscape Recovery Project (LWLR).

World-leading sustainable construction

The Wild House is England’s first certified Passivhaus Premium non-domestic building, one of just three in the UK and fewer than 100 in the world. Generating almost eight times as much energy as it uses, it is a live demonstration of regenerative, low-carbon design.

PASSIVHAUS PRINCIPLES

Continuous high-performance insulation.

• Continuous airtight layer.

• Thermal bridges minimised.

• High-performance windows and shading.

• Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.

FABRIC & MATERIALS

• Timber frame construction.

• Cellulose fibre insulation made from recycled paper.

• Low embodied carbon.

• Factory-made timber frame panels erected on site in just three days.

• Faster delivery, higher quality, reduced waste.

Purpose-built for learning, research and nature-based wellbeing

Developed through extensive consultation with schools, researchers, NGOs, community health organisations and conservation professionals, the Wild House includes:

  • Large adaptable space to accommodate two classes of 30 pupils, seminars and conferences or smaller groups and meetings

  • Laboratory 

  • Meeting and eating area

  • Volunteer hub

  • Green prescribing and community group hub

  • Accessible toilets and changing facilities

  • Fenced garden with dipping pond and outdoor seating

  • Office space for the Wilder Doddington team and LWLR staff

Located at the heart of a living rewilding landscape

Positioned away from public visitor zones and close to diverse habitat restoration areas, including Wetter Better, the Wild House provides exceptional access to rewilding environments for learning, research, skills development, courses and workshops for beginners to professionals, volunteering, nature-based wellbeing activities and green prescribing.

Catalysing landscape-scale change

The Wild House is also HQ for the 6,500 hectare Lincoln and Witham Landscape Recovery Project which is sharing knowledge, expertise, resilience and biodiversity from Wilder Doddington, from inner city Lincoln along the Witham Valley and A46 corridor towards Newark. The project is connecting nature sites across the farmed landscape, building resilience for nature and farming, reducing flood risk and improving access to nature at a landscape scale.

Who the Wild House is for

Education providers, schools, university students and academics
For nature-based learning, from primary and secondary visits that spark awe and build confidence to further and higher education field visits and research projects.

Universities and research institutions
With on-site lab space and a rewilding landscape for data collection, species monitoring, land use research, natural flood management and freshwater ecology.

Land management and environmental professionals, lifelong learners
CPD training, workshops and experiences, with practical skills development.

Volunteers, citizen scientists
A base for our fantastic team of volunteers, helping to make sure wildlife and people flourish at Wilder Doddington.

Corporate collaborators
An inspiring space for meetings, seminars, sustainability-focused team building, skills sessions, Wilder tours and micro-volunteering, supporting Wilder Doddington in the process.

Community organisations
Get in touch if you are interested in having a base at Wilder Doddington for activities that bring the healing power of nature to people who are struggling.

The image shows a clearing surrounded by flourishing woodland that the Doddington Hall Estate is home to.

A building with purpose, powered by nature

The Wild House is more than a venue. It is a blueprint for a regenerative future. Built from recycled materials and British timber, powered by renewable energy, located within a rewilding landscape and supporting one of England’s largest landscape recovery programmes, it shows how communities, nature and innovation can thrive together.