With a large house and a very large garden to tend our clients were considering downsizing. Suitable plots of land are hard to come by however, and they approached us to see if it might be possible to subdivide their land and build a new home in the garden.
Although there is a strong presumption against new houses in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, our concept was to create the impression that we were in fact converting pre-existing outbuildings within a walled garden.
Our design and arguiments won the day, and planning permission has been granted.
Reflecting the gently sloping terrain, the building comprises two mono-pitched pavilions at slightly different levels linked by a flat-roofed spine. One wing contains bedrooms and bathrooms, the other comprises living and dining rooms and the kitchen. The central area houses the entrance hall, circulation space and ancillary rooms..
Everything is concealed behind a new garden wall, including gardens, garaging, parking and turning space. The house will be served by an air source heat pump and roof mounted PV panels will provide electricity. The material palette will include brick, pre-weathered standing-seam zinc cladding and COR-TEN weathering steel.