Rustic home

“The best preventive remedy to ageing is architecture”How to design and build a project that will take few decades to complete “on time” for its owner retirement plan? In this project, ageing and weathering serve as a critical design tool for thinking about how architecture might intercept the changing state of weathering on site.On a sloping rural site with views over the land, the form and orientation of an existing cottage generates two further, similar buildings, which offer a more complete in-habitation of the ground. The first, a south-facing bedroom emerges from the hill; the second, a bathroom with double height shower of traditional Moroccan construction is largely contained within it. The three buildings are connected by a subterr... More

Nearly two decades on from its original completion, we have revisited and photographed Devon Valley House.   Tucked beneath a hill and hidden from view, this new build home sits in a picturesque Devon valley. The brief was to create a contemporary family home that would sit quietly among its surroundings, replacing the dilapidated farmhouse which once sat on the site. The new building closely followed the envelope of the original but the details and look are very different, giving a much more contemporary feel.   Inside, the house is open, light and understated with the ground floor almost entirely open plan. The living area is partitioned from the kitchen and dining area by an open-ended wall that contains the fireplace and c... More