Hidden within a clearing in a Grade II listed arboretum in Hampshire, this highly efficient new-build family home was designed to fully embrace its wooded location. Surrounded by woods, the site provided both the potential for a unique perspective and also a challenge, due to the trees limiting the amount of natural daylight. To overcome this, we placed the guest bedrooms and ancillary spaces on the ground floor and elevated the primary living areas to the lighter first and second floors. The entrance to the house is via a courtyard to the north of the property. Stepping inside, into an airy entrance hall, an open oak staircase rises up through the house. Immediately beyond the full height glazing across the hallway, a newly planted acer stands where the two wings of the house part, drawing the gaze through to the gardens beyond. Throughout the home, a calming muted colour palette, crafted oak joinery and the gentle play of dappled light through the trees, creates a tranquil and inviting atmosphere. Upstairs, the landing connects to a formal living room on one side and a spacious kitchen, dining and living area on the other. Expansive glazing opens on to wide outdoor terraces that span the width of the building, flooding the space with daylight and offering a multi-sensory experience of the woodland canopy. Porcelain tiles both inside and outside create a seamless continuity between the two. At the top of the house, a timber pavilion subtly encloses the principal suite and study spaces. The mood here is quieter, with rooflights bathing the space in light and large picture windows provide breathtaking views over the treetops. The living area on the first floor and the master suite on the upper floor function as a single entity, to ensure the house feels inviting, even when the guest bedrooms are unoccupied. Outside, and opposite the main entrance, the house is complemented by a single storey garage and yoga studio, creating a formal entrance courtyard to the property. Timber decking and raised beds sit to the north of the studio and garage. The buildings are predominantly constructed from timber, with offsite fabrication and precise on-site assembly. Highly insulated, the choice of materials prioritises the reduction of VOCs, with wood shaving insulation and an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) to minimise both operational and embodied carbon emissions.

Designed from a “high-tech, local handmade” philosophy, this house was conceived with the selection of locally sourced materials as a starting point. Red brick is widely produced in San Pedro Cholula, making it the stand-out material of the house. An artisanal arrangement of each brick, following a non-perpendicular modular repetition, allowed expressivity for both material and geometry-wise while maintaining a low cost. The house is an introverted one and incorporates design elements that aim to simultaneously bring sufficient privacy, light and natural ventilation: a courtyard and interior-facing terrace, brick-lattices and windows that open up to selected views. In terms of the program, the said courtyard serves to articulate and bring light and ventilation to two main volumes: The first one comprised of a double-height space containing a living room, dining room and kitchen on the first floor, and bedroom on the second floor. And a second one containing a smaller bedroom and service areas on the first floor, and a large terrace on the second. Various elements such as wall lamps and an electric meter box (among others) were custom-designed and crafted for the house.

The front of the home is beautiful and welcoming in its own right. The windows were renovated to a high standard, with glass panes replaced throughout. The paint was stripped back and refreshed in a bright white, and the front door replaced in a gorgeous navy blue, adding character while working nicely with the traditional features of the property. The roof was replaced as part of the works, giving it new life for years to come. Renovation by Absolute Project Management

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A rear deck and custom hardwood pergola frame the exterior view of the new addition.
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This birds eye view of the house demonstrates the stepped levels and how the design follows the contours of the slope. Each of the three blocks are connected by glazed link spaces. This design has a simple logic to arrange a large house on a sloping site, without the costs of excavating large quantities of material to cut into the slope.

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a new extension is in the form of a bay window to accompany the existing Victorian Bay window.
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The brief for redesigning this oak-framed, three-bay garage was for a self-contained, fully equipped annex for a couple that felt practical, yet distinctive and luxurious. The answer was to use one ’bay’ for the double bedroom with full wall height storage and ensuite with a generous shower, and then use the other two bays for the open plan dining and living areas. The original wooden beams and oak workspaces sit alongside cobalt blue walls and blinds with industrial style lighting and shelving.

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