An Individual Home
Our philosophy is that our homes should be an expression of who we are; our lifestyles, tastes, interests, and values should all come together to create something unique and personal to the people who live there. Each of our projects has its own character that evolves through a process of collaboration and discussion with our clients. Our Pond House project is a particularly clear expression of this.
One of the key themes which came up at the very outset of the project was around living with art. With one of the clients being a professional artist, the house also needed to act as a studio space and a gallery to accommodate a large collection of artworks.
The first challenge was to create a feeling of separation between the studio and home on a tight site with limited space to build. To achieve this, we introduced an open courtyard dividing the house and the studio. This created a private outdoor space that the studio could open onto on warmer days. The act of stepping outside the house and crossing the courtyard marks the divide between leisure and work time. The studio itself has a framed view into the surrounding woodland and is evenly lit by north-facing roof lights creating optimum light conditions for painting.
While the separate working space created a tranquil environment for creating art, the outstanding question was how to display the extensive art collection acquired by the clients over many years. The solution to this was integral within the early design phases, informing the eventual layout of the home.
The constraints of a steeply sloping site and obtaining planning permission for a contemporary house in a conservation area were the main drivers behind the long slim form of the house. The living spaces and bedrooms were arranged to face the sun and the views in the south with a corridor linking them together and leading to the studio. Through the careful placement of roof lights and a track light system, we were able to transform this space into a gallery. The adaptability of the lighting allows the client to change the artwork around, which they do regularly. We are yet to visit the house and find the gallery the same!
The artistic influence on the house went far beyond the canvas and extended into the kitchen, wall colours, and furnishing of the house. A bright yellow kitchen island, pink concrete sinks, and magenta walls to name a few. The fusion of design ideas and collaboration between the clients and architect resulted in a rich and unique project which neither party could have imagined individually.
