Waldens Farm is a three-bedroom country house set in the rolling Wiltshire landscape. Designed by the Winchester-based practice Adam Knibb Architects, the project replaced an existing bungalow and was designed to use as little energy as possible, with high levels of insulation throughout.
A country house designed to sit within its landscape
Arranged across a single storey, beneath a skillion, or mono-pitched roof, the house is finished in natural stone and Accoya timber cladding, aligning with the earthy tones of the soil and ‘sitting comfortably within the landscape’. Although the new house is larger than the one it replaces, the designers didn’t want to make an overt and elaborate status.
Aligned north-south, the house is arranged a central living room, glazed at each end, flanked with the main bedroom suite to the west and secondary bedrooms and utility areas to the east. A large concrete deck is cantilevered out into the landscape on the northern façade.
The house looks across a wildflower meadow and fishing lakes, with trees screening the house from the south. The relatively remote rural location meant that prefabricated wall and roof panels were the most practical method of construction, trucked in and attached to the large glulam beams that support the overhanging roof. Structural steel was used sparingly.
The roof rises up on the northern elevation, creating high ceilings for the main living space and bedrooms, as well as tall panes of glazing to maximise the consistent north light. This is also the most secluded elevation, and the house is orientated to maximise privacy.
A tall stone chimney and three rooflights are the only elements intersecting with the zinc roof that covers the entire structure. Materials were chosen for their ability to weather – the timber will silver and the stone will patinate – helping the house further embed within the landscape.
Some of the stone elements are brought into the main living space and principal bedroom, especially around the fireplace, which is a focal point in the living area. Limestone flooring throughout also unites the interior. Energy is supplied by a ground source heat pump, while the prefabricated Structural insulated panels ensure that the heat doesn’t go to waste.
Adam Knibb set up his studio in 2011. Waldens Farm is one of a series of one-off houses the studio has designed in the south of England, all of which use a natural evolution of local materials and forms with a distinctly modern spatial sensibility.
-
A Lagos exhibition celebrates Fela Kuti's defining soundAn exhibition, Afrobeat Rebellion, currently showing at the Ecobank PanAfrican Centre in Lagos, explores the life of Afrobeat father Fela Anikulapo-Kuti
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom wineries-turned-music studios to fire-resistant holiday homes, these are the properties that have most impressed the Wallpaper* editors this month
-
La Monique brings the French Riviera to Santa MonicaA transportive room of velvet, candlelight, and Riviera chic, serving French favourites with a modern wink
-
A refreshed 1950s apartment in East London allows for moments of discoveryWith this 1950s apartment redesign, London-based architects Studio Naama wanted to create a residence which reflects the fun and individual nature of the clients
-
In this Cotswolds home, drama meets minimalismCotswolds home Hiaven house, with interiors designed by McLaren Excell, is a perfect blend of contemporary chic and calm, countryside drama
-
David Kohn’s first book, ‘Stages’, is unpredictable, experimental and informativeThe first book on David Kohn Architects focuses on the work of the award-winning London-based practice; ‘Stages’ is an innovative monograph in 12 parts
-
Find solace in the forest at this expansive treehouse retreat in DorsetFor sale for the first time, a treehouse, Mallinson’s Woodland Retreat, is a tribute to the skill of designer and master craftsman Guy Mallinson
-
Modernist Scotland explores the country’s impressive legacy of contemporary architectureA new book, Modernist Scotland, delves into the art and ambitions of the International Style in post-war Scotland, presenting 150 projects that typify an age of optimism and innovation.
-
100 George Street is the new kid on the block in fashionable MaryleboneLondon's newest luxury apartment building brings together a sensitive exterior and thoughtful, 21st-century interiors
-
Take a tour of Retrofit House, the live showcase inspiring sustainable homebuildingRetrofit House, a showcase for residential redesign using biomaterials and environmentally smart methods, opens in Birmingham, UK, spearheaded by Civic Square, Dark Matter Labs and Material Cultures; we paid it a visit
-
How Maggie’s is redefining cancer care through gardens designed for healing, soothing and liberatingCancer support charity Maggie’s has worked with some of garden design’s most celebrated figures; as it turns 30 next year, advancing upon its goal of ‘30 centres by 30’, we look at the integral role Maggie’s gardens play in nurturing and supporting its users
