Water Farm House/ Studio Bark

Curated by Hadir Al Koshta

Text description provided by the architects. Studio Bark has completed ‘Water Farm’, an off-grid home in Suffolk with a bold geometric timber design, inspired by local timber frame buildings. Water Farm was designed to nurture the needs of a young family of five, moving away from the city, with strong ties to the site and a desire for off-grid living. The result is an exciting, yet hyper-functional five-bedroom off-grid home. The geometric timber-clad roof is the home’s defining feature. Born out of an early study into local timber frame buildings, it soon became its own entity, a powerful man-made form that strikingly contrasts its natural surroundings. The clients approached Studio Bark with a dream for a ‘home for life’ on the family farm - rooted in decades of family history. At that time they were living in Essex with their three children and seeking the quality of life that rural Suffolk could offer, whilst still being a reasonable train journey to London. Located on the edge of Dedham Vale AONB, this Suffolk site features mature woodland and pasture, with a westward slope and a central crest. The landscape is characterized by trees, hedgerows, and two distinctive field oaks, offering picturesque views and glimpses of the Stour Valley through clearings. Designed to be both seen and enjoyed, the proposal takes advantage of the nearby public right of way, allowing the passersby to appreciate it as an architectural statement that enhances the scenic quality of the area.

Studio Bark Statement - “Many clients, often with young families, approach us with a desire to move from the city to the countryside to get closer to nature and improve their quality of life. It’s a pleasure when we can help to make that happen, particularly when the tie to the particular piece of land is so strong.” “Being located in rural countryside, adjacent to a National Landscape (formerly AONB) raised the planning bar to the highest possible level. The challenge for us as both architects and rural planning experts was to create an exceptional family home that addressed Paragraph 84 (of the National Planning Policy Framework), whilst also being sensitive to local opinion and local planning policy.” “It’s great to see how such a bold roof form can sit seamlessly into a complex natural landscape, whilst also framing views across its planes to the picturesque Stour Valley beyond.” “The method of procurement was unusual for this type of project, with the clients deciding to run it as a ‘Design and Build’ contract, directly with the main contractor. It's sometimes sad to ‘let go’ of one of your projects before they’ve properly flown the nest, but at the same time, we are pleased to be able to offer a flexible service to suit our client's wishes.” Client Testimonial - “Studio Bark gave us a great design – and then it was about watching it go up, exploring the influence light and materials can have on the interior spaces – using the experiences learned at our company Light Lab.” “The farm had been carefully developed over 40+ years with the natural environment at the forefront, therefore the actual siting of the building involved much consideration. In the end, the chosen site lent itself to minimal disruption environmentally, whilst enjoying the views and landscape next to a neighboring woodland and National Landscape.” “When design is done well, it is something that adds to your life without you even noticing. The light, materials and angles all make it a wonderful experience.”

Layout - Water Farm is a 5 bedroom, two-story home with a GIA of approximately 350 sqm and a separate garage/office. The client wanted spaces to be connected and to feel open whilst maintaining some separation from one another. The solution was a stepped ground floor arranged around a central courtyard. The courtyard provides cross ventilation and lots of natural light. The courtyard also creates a layering of views through the house and to the landscape beyond. Where the ground floor is expressed and zoned through the stepped ground floor slab, the first-floor rooms are characterized by the striking geometry of the roof, which gives each room a unique spatial character. The gable ends offer the two main bedrooms expansive views across the natural surroundings.

Water Farm House/ Studio Bark - Exterior Photography — © Jim Stephenson

Environmental Design - Water Farm has been developed based on the first principles of good environmental design, aiming to be a ‘low tech’, but ‘high performance’ house. Solar Control - Careful position of glazing, either with overhangs or movable external shutters to provide control of solar gain in the summer. Passive Ventilation and Natural Daylight - The central courtyard provides an incredible well of light and fresh air, which twinned with high ceilings and openable windows in every aspect provides excellent daylight and natural ventilation throughout the plan. Lightweight vs Heavyweight Materials - The building sits on a heavyweight plinth with heavyweight floors, increasing thermal mass potential and thermal control, whereas the lightweight timber frame above is hyper-insulated to reduce heat loss. Embodied Carbon and Local Materials - Natural materials have been specified throughout, many of which have been sourced locally. Off-Grid Systems - A large solar array (located on the studio roof) is twinned with high-capacity batteries and a Ground Source Heat Pump, providing much of the building’s heating and energy demand for three seasons. This is backed up by a Midas Biofuel Generator for the cloudy winter months. A borehole with a filtration system provides off-grid drinking water and a high-performance Klargester Biodisc deals with the wastewater.

Planning - Water Farm was granted permission under Paragraph 79 (now Paragraph 84) of the National Planning Policy Framework, a policy that requires exceptional design quality for new homes in the open countryside. This project was a rewarding collaboration involving specialists from Rural Solutions (Planning), Torc Ecology (Environmental), Structure Workshop (Engineering), Terra Firma (Landscape), Create Consulting (Highways), and Greenlight (Arboricultural). The proposal underwent a rigorous design process, including two Design Review Panel presentations. The multidisciplinary team ensured the design responded sensitively to the rural context, aiming to create an architecturally significant structure. This project exemplifies how contemporary, sustainable architecture can enhance and integrate with its natural landscape.