Berkshire

This project was to create a new build family home in a beautiful location with distant views of the Thames. The site, located on the top of a gentle south facing slope presented a perfect site for a new house. A smaller existing house, although in the right position on the site, did not make the most of this aspect and therefore the decision was made to replace this. As part of the planning process, the building had to adhere to strict limitations in overall height and a strong justification was required to persuade the planners of the merits of such an uncompromisingly modern design in this location. Additionally, the proximity of several mature trees, which give the site such character meant that a special piled raft foundation design had to be developed to avoid disruption of the tree roots.

On the South side of the house, the design is conceived as a floating timber box – a tree house in effect, which is in two sections, with the master bedroom suite forming one block and the further bedrooms forming the other which adds to give extra separation and privacy to the master suite. Between these two boxes, a double height space cuts through the middle giving a dramatic view to the garden beyond, while giving a sense of the tall trees beyond. This verticality is emphasised using six metre tall sliding doors which open onto the garden.

All the family bedrooms are located on the South side with a balcony, with the idea again being that these again create the sense of a tree house where you can reach out and touch the canopy of the tree and have a connection to the natural environment of the site.

On the ground floor, a large kitchen living dining space faces the garden, as does an additional formal living room. The double height space connects the front and back of the house, serving a dual function as both a dramatic entrance space and a dining room. On the North side of the house which faces towards the street, the façade is much more closed with smaller windows and contains the more functional spaces of the house although these are treated with no less care.

A large four car garage is treated as an extension of the house with the same polished concrete floor and underfloor heating as used elsewhere. A large window from the study allows this to be treated more as a showroom than an everyday space and lifts a very ordinary space to be a striking feature of the house.

From the driveway, the house is entered through a small garden space with a floating pergola structure. This element acts as both a threshold between the house and the driveway but also a visually unifying element between the garage and the house. The whole proposal is carefully composed to feel calm and balanced. This subtle approach is deliberately conceived to give little indication of the views that define the house beyond allowing for a dramatic reveal when the house is entered.