A sleek country house in the south of England maximises views and efficiency

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. 

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