Set in a pristine woodland of pines, ferns and rhododendrons in Buckinghamshire this gatehouse is currently being refurbished by Paolo Cossu Architects. As part of the redevelopment of this family countryside house a new extension will be introduced and it will be inspired by shou-sugi-ban or burnt sugi boards.This traditional Japanese cladding technique uses carbonised Cedar boards which are resistant to rot and fire: the result are blackened boards with a silver sheen.

The landscape proposal consists of a courtyard garden with a Japanese influence as far as the palette of plants is concerned and a frame of pleached crab apple trees. A more naturalistic setting is created around the house with the introduction of a wildflower meadow and a native hedgerow to blur the boundaries between the domestic garden and the woodland around it.