Radlett

The clients first approached GregoryPhillips Architects to explore extending and remodelling their existing home. Following a detailed appraisal, we concluded that neither the house nor the site could accommodate the quality of home they ultimately aspired to create. Rather than compromise the design, we advised them to seek an alternative property with greater potential.

Six months later, they returned having secured a nearby site occupied by a dilapidated house with planning permission for its replacement. Although the approved scheme satisfied planning requirements, it lacked the architectural quality, spatial generosity and sense of permanence they were seeking. Our brief was to redesign the house within the parameters of the existing consent, delivering a significantly more refined home through a variation of condition application rather than a new planning submission.

The design reinterprets the enduring character of a Georgian country house through a contemporary architectural language. The formal, symmetrical front elevation establishes a calm and ordered presence, while finely crafted brickwork inspired by the Arts and Crafts tradition introduces richness, texture and shadow. At the rear, the composition becomes more expressive, with projecting brick volumes, deep window reveals and extensive glazing carefully arranged to strengthen the relationship between the house, terraces and gardens.

Arrival is centred on a dramatic three-storey entrance hall where a sculptural floating cantilevered staircase forms the focal point of the house. Long views are established immediately upon entering, drawing the eye through the building to the mature landscape beyond and reinforcing the connection between architecture and setting.

The principal living spaces occupy the rear of the ground floor and are planned around contemporary family life. A generous open-plan kitchen, dining and living space sits alongside a fully equipped preparation kitchen, allowing the main entertaining spaces to remain elegant and uncluttered. Full-height sliding glazing dissolves the boundary between inside and out, allowing the terraces and gardens to become natural extensions of the living accommodation.

The interiors were conceived alongside the architecture to create a unified and highly crafted environment. A restrained palette of natural stone, textured timber, bronze-toned metalwork and soft leather provides warmth without excess, while bespoke joinery introduces order and continuity throughout the house. Carefully integrated storage, library shelving and display spaces allow furniture, artwork and sculpture to become the focus rather than the architecture itself. The result is an atmosphere that is calm, sophisticated and quietly luxurious.

The gardens were designed as an integral part of the architectural composition rather than simply the setting for the house. Broad stone terraces extend the internal floor planes into the landscape, while generous lawns and richly planted borders soften the crisp geometry of the building. An 18-metre swimming pool forms the visual axis of the rear elevation, reflecting the architecture and creating a tranquil focal point throughout the year. Beyond, a full-width leisure pavilion finished in matt black recedes into the landscape, accommodating wellness and leisure facilities while reinforcing the sense of depth across the site.

The principal bedroom suite occupies the full width of the rear elevation, enjoying complete privacy and uninterrupted views across the gardens. Throughout the upper floors, carefully positioned windows frame changing views of the mature trees and surrounding landscape, while deep reveals create moments of enclosure that contrast with the openness of the principal living spaces below. Additional guest accommodation and a generous second-floor reception room provide flexibility for visitors, extended family or live-in staff.

Throughout the project, architecture, interiors and landscape were developed as a single composition. Every material, proportion and detail contributes to a home that feels coherent, timeless and enduring. Rather than seeking attention through unnecessary complexity, the house achieves its character through craftsmanship, carefully considered proportions and spaces designed around the rhythms of everyday life.