A sleek country house in the south of England maximises views and efficiency
Adam Knibb Architects has completed a timber country house that’s designed to gradually bed into the landscape
![Waldens Farm country house by Adam Knibb Architects](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AHbmDg7gAYQNuVzDDtnpUj-415-80.jpg)
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.
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
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.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Tour the Natural History Museum’s new gardens, a Jurassic lark in London
The Natural History Museum in London has unveiled two new gardens, with resident dinosaurs, after a transformation led by architects Feilden Fowles
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Drama Republic moves into a colourful, handcrafted workspace in London
For the new creative HQ of production company Drama Republic, Emil Eve Architects remodels a warehouse into office space in London’s Holborn
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Hideaway House in London features timber panelling inspired by the New York hospitality scene
The elegantly refurbished Hideaway House by Studio McW in London features timber panelling inspired by Philip Johnson’s The Four Seasons Restaurant
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
‘Modern Buildings’ tours south-east London through a guide to post-war Blackheath and Greenwich
‘Modern Buildings: Blackheath and Greenwich’ is a detailed survey of a London borough’s rich trove of new modernist architecture
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Triangle House invites you to its inner world of colourful surprises
Triangle House by Artefact is a private home in Epsom, outside London, combining Caribbean style, colour and functionality
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Tour the refreshed Saint Andrew Holborn: an icon reveals its crisp new interior in London
DaeWha Kang reimagines Saint Andrew Holborn church through a sensitive architectural solution that blends tradition and modernity in London
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A Suffolk house by Studio Bark pairs a fresh visual language with low-energy design
Suffolk house Water Farm is off-the-grid but defiantly on the map, a bold new object in the landscape with a strong visual impact and minimal carbon footprint
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Westminster Coroner's Court renovation delicately blends moments of softness and austerity
Westminster Coroner's Court gets a refresh and addition, courtesy of Lynch Architects and artist Brian Clarke
By Ellie Stathaki Published