Amongst the trees

Our clients had been enchanted at first sight by the tranquillity of the 1930s swimming pond surrounded by towering Scots pines, birch and horse chestnuts. The original house was strangely disconnected from this arcadian woodland and impractical to bring up to date. So the decision was made to start again.

A 1930s photograph taken on the balcony of the old house revealed the formal garden that had disappeared behind uncontrolled cypress trees. The new house would be positioned to connect with the garden as it is gradually restored.

This connection starts even before visitors enter the house. Approaching the house, it nestles in a frame of mature Scots pines. As you cross the threshold, the house becomes the frame. The focus moves immediately through the panoramic glazing to the woodland, mature gardens and water behind.

All primary accommodations face down the hill, with the ground floor opening seamlessly to the terrace and garden beyond and the first floor becoming a magical treehouse.

The house itself is a timber-panelled structure, which was manufactured offsite, allowing rapid onsite progress. The precision of this process and commitment to detail, both on and off site, delivers exceptional airtightness and thermal performance. With zero thermal bridging, combined with photovoltaic panels and an air-source heat pump, the house is expected to be net carbon positive, generating more energy than it uses. This is further helped by discrete automation and control systems for everything from heating, cooling and ventilation to entertainment and garden irrigation. These systems are concealed behind the house’s simple form and materials.

Materials were carefully chosen to reflect the local vernacular, but configured for a modern interpretation. The long-format handmade bricks were mortar-matched, while the cedar cladding and the slim aluminium fenestration maximise the treehouse effect.

Inside, Rachele Bowley, of Last Interior Design, used WWA’s architectural blueprint and the surrounding landscape as her starting point. “Having previously lived in a period property, this was a new direction for our clients, who had fully embraced the idea of building from scratch,” she says. “Bravely leaning into a more pared-back design, the modern, mid-century concept worked well for them. It allowed pieces of antique furniture to sit alongside the contemporary architectural features and made-to-measure cabinetry, and buffered the project from becoming too minimal.

We used textured tiles and a combination of warm timber tones to create a canvas onto which our clients could gradually layer their own furniture and soft furnishings.” Having created the fundamental design scheme, including kitchen, bathrooms, lighting, bespoke cabinetry and other finishes, Rachele worked collaboratively on elements such as the staircase, which required expertise from the clients, the WWA team and manufacturer SB Joinery. Its statement form, a combination of solid oak treads, round metal spindles and elegant curved handrail, disappears into the woodland view behind.

Outside, garden designer Sarah Naybour’s quest was to subtly transition from the contemporary dwelling to the surrounding woodland and wilder waterscape below. The challenges came in the form of the wide-reaching shallow roots of the many Scots pines, the sandy soil characteristic of the surrounding heaths and hills, and the deep drop from the terrace to the garden below. In response, the planting came in the form of acid soil-loving shrubs, including azaleas and other ericaceous species. Ornamental trees were planted close to the house, aiding the transition from hard landscaping and low planting to the giant trees beyond. To negate the need for a balustrade along the terrace (building regs permits no more than a 600mm drop) a raised timber bed, built using metal stakes so as not to interfere with the pine roots, would ensure clear sightlines and the all-important uninterrupted view.

The project was the product of a collaborative meeting of expert minds and commitment to detail from the clients. The result is a beautifully crafted, high-quality dwelling, in a stunning setting, built for longevity and self-sufficiency. We thank our clients, West Waddy Archadia, Last Interior Design and Sarah Naybour Creative Consulting for working alongside us to bring it to life.