Set in the heart of the Surrey Hills, south of London, Hidden House by Duncan Foster Architects nestles into a sloping site, replacing an existing bungalow with a fully sustainable upgrade that offers up far-reaching views without imposing itself on the protected North Downs landscape.
Hidden House, Surrey, Duncan Foster Architects
Tour Surrey's Hidden House by Duncan Foster Architects
Foster, whose practice is based in nearby Teddington, has extensive experience working in the region. The Hidden House, as the 2,700 square metre structure has been dubbed, recently received a Guildford Design Award, in part because of the structure’s ability to enhance the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, both from the interior and the exterior design.
The Hidden House in Surrey
The house is defined by three angular pitched roof elements, united by a green roofed entrance pavilion and surrounded by courtyards and patios. The primary façade is clad in ThermoChar, a proprietary burnt ash cladding, with the lower level using locally sourced stone to anchor the house into its site.
The Hidden House offers views over the North Downs
The interior layout is orientated around the views across the valley, with a living room at ground level offering up a spectacular panorama of the Surrey countryside. Every room on this level has been arranged to create a connection with the exterior, with long internal views throughout maximising the available space. In particular, a glazed section of the living room allows a distant view right through the house from the patio site.
Views through the house from the patio garden
The primary bedroom suite is also on this level, occupying on of the angular components so as take advantage of the higher ceilings. As in the main living space, a glazed corner cuts into the burnt ash cladding, with chamfered window frames that emphasise the angularity of the primary structure.
Details of the burnt ash cladding
The lower level contains the bedrooms and is cut into the site to keep the overall height down. Throughout the house, careful alignment of the pitched roof elements, along with placement of rooflights and glazing bars, preserves a sense of unbroken connectivity to the landscape. Patios are linked with external staircases that cut into the undulating site.
View from the main bedroom
At the far end of the ground floor plan is a separate studio space that can be adapted to become a self-contained living space in the future, allowing the house to stay flexible over the generations.
A panoramic view from the main living space