Located in a picturesque village in Dorset, a luxury family home required a cutting-edge solution to safely navigate a steep 20-metre ramp leading to basement parking. The project presented a unique challenge: ensuring year-round accessibility while maintaining energy efficiency. HDS was tasked with designing and installing a bespoke heated driveway system tailored to the needs of the property, balancing performance with operational cost-effectiveness.

To achieve this, HDS designed two bespoke heated tracks, each 0.6 metres wide, extending the length of the ramp and branching out towards the two garage spaces. Additionally, extra heating was installed at the top of the ramp to enhance safety and usability during icy conditions. The tracks were embedded beneath a robust tarmac base with a resin finish, ensuring durability and seamless integration into the driveway’s design. By heating only the necessary tracks rather than the full width of the ramp, the system achieved optimal functionality while minimising power consumption and running costs.

The heating system utilises two 4455W mats and a smaller 2200W mat, controlled by a fully automatic HDS ice and snow melting system. This sophisticated control unit incorporates two ground moisture sensors and an air temperature sensor, allowing the system to activate only when required. This ensures energy efficiency without compromising safety, providing the homeowners with a reliable and hassle-free solution for navigating their driveway in adverse weather conditions. The Bothenhampton project demonstrates HDS’s ability to deliver innovative, tailored solutions for challenging residential applications.