http://www.dailymail.co.uk/property/article-6030861/This-stunning-eco-home-London-Taxis-built
Call a cab to your eco house! Former factory where the first London Taxis were built is now a stunning designer home for sale at £750,000 - with a tropical swimming pool in the entrance
• Converted property in Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire is for sale with a guide price of £750k
• It includes three bedrooms and a tropical swimming pool in the entrance atrium
• It has an interesting history, with the first London Taxis constructed on the site until 1907
• A former tax office on the site is for sale for £150k and could be converted subject to planning permissions
By MYRA BUTTERWORTH FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:26, 7 August 2018 | UPDATED: 12:15, 7 August 2018
A former industrial building where the first London Taxis were built, which was transformed into one of Britain's first eco homes in the 1990s, is for sale for £750,000.
The building in Cambridgeshire was bought by an architect more than two decades ago and converted into an innovative house that includes an impressive atrium over a swimming pool.
Elements of the original industrial building were retained, including the large structural roof timbers and polished concrete floors.
This former industrial building is where the first seventeen London Taxis were built until 1907
The owner and architect John Sargent introduced various eco features, including eco-lime render on the inside walls and recycling irrigation tanks for watering the garden.
Estate agents Carter Jonas, selling the home, said it was one of Britain's first eco houses.
The property's transformation was recognised with a feature in Country Life Magazine in 1999, just two years after he bought it.
The three-bedroom home is in Bassingbourn, a village that's 14 miles south-west of Cambridge, close to the border with North Hertfordshire.
The Cambridgeshire property was bought by architect John Sargent in 1997, who transformed it into a stunning home
An entrance surprise! A tropical swimming pool occupies most of the atrium, wowing visitors as they arrive
Large structural roof timbers and polished concrete floors are some of the main features in the open-plan living room
Additional luxury touches include under-floor heating, cedar doors and an Italian designer kitchen.
The kitchen area is set around a large polished concrete island with black aluminium fronts on the cupboards, drawers and integrated appliances - which include a Miele oven and an AEG fridge.
The bespoke dining table is set on a mobile galvanised frame and is being sold with the property.
A pop of colour is introduced among the neutral tones in the living room with a purple sofa
Large windows and doors open out onto the garden area, with sliding shutters in place for the evening or some shade
There is a large decking area outside with a rain water collection tank, which creates a sunny place to sit and relax
The property has a guide price of £750,000 and is being sold via estate agents Carter Jonas.
The main living area has a large open fireplace and doors opening to the swimming pool. In addition, there are three bedrooms, two of which share a renovated shower room.
For those looking for more room, a former taxi office next door is for sale separately for £150,000 and previously had planning permission to convert into a separate house. The estate agent suggests that a re-application is likely to be considered favourably by the local planning authority.