Our clients had always dreamt of building a home that was designed for their individual needs: young family life, rural living and working from home.
They also wanted a beautiful, bright and spacious home built using traditional craftsmanship and natural materials - integrating modern technologies within a high performance structure that would stand the test of time, but also adapt as their family grew and changed.
This bespoke oak framed Manor House is a true collaboration between client and the Border Oak design team, with every inch of the house being scrutinised and reworked to exceed expectations.
This design is based upon a classical 'H' shaped manor house layout - a broad central bay flanked by two cross wings and punctuated by a large double height and jettied porch. The overarching client brief was to create a modern 'farmhouse' that would make architectural sense on the 3-acre plot.
Fortunately, the plot came with detailed planning approval for a large new dwelling, but it wasn’t what our clients needed in terms of design or layout. The Border Oak design team worked closely with the clients and planning department to create an alternative design more in keeping with the AONB status and making better use of the spectacular location. All of the clients 'wish list' could be incorporated and luckily the new scheme sailed through the planning process.
Using a combination of SIPs (faced in handmade brick) alongside exposed oak framing and rendered infill panels, the house has been conceived as a strong architectural statement within the wider landscape. However, we paid close attention to elevational variations and material details to enable the home to weather softly into its beautiful setting.
Perhaps the greatest success of the design is due to the overall blend of natural materials (green oak, glass, handmade brick, handmade clay tile, lime render and weatherboarding) married together with architectural voids, elevational projections and repeated valleys and gables, all of which soften the mass of the house, create visual interest and forge an relationship with the broader rural landscape.
The ground floor features a large entrance hall from which all the main rooms lead. The kitchen wing includes an open plan dining area, play room (plus a utility and plant room beyond), with a stunning glazed and vaulted garden room. There are five bedrooms on the upper floor connected by a striking circular landing that showcases the landscape captured by a two-storey glazed gable. The large open hallway is an unifying device that ensures the house is neither too linear, too formal, nor too imposing - it was very important that this building read foremost as a family home, and for all the spaces to serve a purpose whilst being beautiful.
