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Architects: Niall McLaughlin Architects
- Area: 1250 m²
- Year: 2017
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Photographs:Nick Kane
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Manufacturers: Pilkington, Bauder, Haysom, IQ Glass, Ian Robbs, Mike Stoane Lighting, Shirecast Stone, Timbmet, Winchester Hardwood Flooring
Text description provided by the architects. The property is approached from the north, down a steep bank. The house is nestled into the hillside and appears as a single story flint building echoing the demesne walls common in the local area. Visitors are guided down a tree-lined road to a lower entrance courtyard where the building rises to two stories. The house is arranged in a series of staggered volumes, which are conceived of as an entrance to the landscape. The spaces frame the three key views; the meadows, the lakes, and the gardens. In the center is the top-lit, double height kitchen, around which the daily life of the family revolves.
The main staircase is lined in Purbeck stone with cantilevered precast concrete treads. The upstairs circulation spaces overlook the kitchen and pool below and also open out to accommodate the library, reading room, and play space, which are articulated by lanterns to allow clerestory light into the space. The oak-lined bedrooms enjoy panoramic views across the site and include full height shutters with external louvers allowing the space to be fully opened up to the landscape and also providing natural ventilation.
The materials have been chosen to relate to the surrounding context and include coursed flint, Purbeck stone, and precast concrete. Timber windows and cladding are made from oak which is untreated and will gradually weather to a silver-grey to match the color of the stone and flint. The structure is a combination of steel and concrete frame with visual oak joists providing support to the upper floor and roof slab. The house includes ground source heating technology, PV panels and high levels of thermal insulation.
