Kensington and Chelsea council confirmed that it would need to approve the plans for the wind turbine before it could go ahead. If three neighbours were to object, the turbine would go to a planning committee, otherwise officers would accept or reject it themselves.

A planning officer said: “I cannot think of another example of a wind turbine. We deal with requests like this on a case-by-case basis. It all depends on the impact on the building and the setting.”

For his own house, built mostly underground because of a planning restriction limiting it to six feet, Mr Michaelis scoured Europe for the most eco-friendly materials. It is covered in turf to trap heat and give oxygen back to the environment. He has also installed a 328ft borehole tapping into an aquifer to provide his water supply, although this is not planned for Mr Cameron’s house.

“Eco-friendly designs are more expensive,” he said. “We are way behind Sweden, Norway and Switzerland. But as people in the UK become more environmentally aware, costs will reduce. Sustainability and environmental design are going to be the critical words in architecture over the next 20 years.”

HERE'S SOME MICHAELIS MADE EARLIER ...

1993 Office refurbishment for film company in Soho, London

1994 The round bar in Soho House club, Soho, London W1

1995 Moro Restaurant in Exmouth Market, London EC1; Zucca Italian restaurant in Westbourne Grove, W11

1998 Babington House Hotel, Frome, Somerset

1999 Woody’s Nightclub, Harrow Road, London W9

2000 The Kings Arms Bar, Kings Road, SW6; The Prince Alfred, bar and restaurant, London W9

2001 Bar room bar, Alexandra Arms, Victoria Road, E9

2002 Sophie’s Steakhouse, Fulham Road, SW3; Soho House Electric Cinema, brasserie and club, Portobello Road, W10; Organic food stores for Fresh and Wild in Bristol and London W11

All projects undertaken by Michaelis Boyd Associates

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