Striking wooden house in Wales is shaped to make the most of its view
Maich Swift Architects’ Rhossili House is a minimalist wooden house that makes the most of its dramatic Welsh surrounds

David Grandorge - Photography
Perched high above the beaches of the Gower Peninsula, Maich Swift Architects’ Rhossili House is an elegant fusion of traditional forms and minimalist architecture details; a wooden house informed by its context.
This part of South Wales is wild and rugged, with a long history of settlement and agriculture. Although the coastline is beautiful, it is also subjected to strong winds and treacherous currents – many ships have foundered in Rhossili Bay over the centuries.
Maich Swift Architects’ task was to face up to this scenic but demanding landscape with a house that served as both sculpture and sanctuary. The village of Rhossili and its surroundings have been part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 1956, the very first such designation in the whole of the British Isles.
As a result, there was extra scrutiny on the design, which occupies a prominent clifftop site at the edge of the village. As well as consolidating and incorporating two existing outbuildings, the bulk of the project involved the construction of a new solid timber house.
Superficially, the new house bears a strong resemblance to the white-walled, pitched-roofed vernacular that has been built along this stretch of coastline for centuries. The London-based architects undertook a forensic examination of the surrounding properties and their designs.
However, Rhossili House’s façade is shaped entirely by the interior configuration, which in turn was directed by the stunning western views out to sea and up the coast to the north.
On the elevation facing the sea, large frameless windows make the most of the views, while the rear of the house is defined by a sequence of smaller, uniformly sized square windows and rooflights. A top-lit central stair core forms the heart of the house, with four bedrooms and a bathroom on the upper floor, three of which have dual aspects.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
The top floor ceilings are all taken up into the roof slope to create generous spaces, with dark timber flooring and lighter panelled ceilings. Downstairs, a grand living/dining room has a run of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, 70m below.
The building was constructed using solid spruce cross-laminated timber, with a lime render finish and aluminium windows and detailing. These natural materials are not only breathable and robust but provide high levels of insulation, so that an air source heat pump can provide all the house’s energy needs.
The building’s strong environmental performance and sympathetic appearance helped the architects navigate the 57 planning constraints applied to the site – the process to get permission for the project took two years. After all that, the actual final erection of the frame took just three weeks, before the pandemic closed the site down for yet another lengthy delay.
Inside, there is custom-built furniture to match the purity of the design, with details like skirtings and door surroundings kept deliberately low key. In addition to the refurbished outbuildings, a new timber-frame garage was added, as well as a viewpoint, defined by a ribbon of white walls, that juts out over the wild landscape.
INFORMATION
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.
-
Meet artist Michael McGregor, using hotel stationery as his canvas
Michael McGregor unveils an exclusive postcard set made with notepads from The Luxury Collection properties in Minneapolis, San Francisco and Savannah
-
A nature-inspired Chinese art centre cuts a crisp figure in a Guiyang park
A new Chinese art centre by Atelier Xi in the country's Guizhou Province is designed to bring together nature, art and community
-
William Kentridge's fluid sculptures are a vivid addition to the Yorkshire landscape
William Kentridge has opened the first major exhibition to focus on his sculptures outside of South Africa at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
-
Kengo Kuma’s ‘Paper Clouds’ in London is a ‘poem’ celebrating washi paper in construction
‘Paper Clouds’, an installation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is a poetic design that furthers research into the use of washi paper in construction
-
Foster + Partners to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II
For the Queen Elizabeth II memorial, Foster + Partners designs proposal includes a new bridge, gates, gardens and figurative sculptures in St James’ Park
-
Wolves Lane Centre brings greenery, growing and grass roots together
Wolves Lane Centre, a new, green community hub in north London by Material Cultures and Studio Gil, brings to the fore natural materials and a spirit of togetherness
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshop
New Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it
-
Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on life
Thanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being reborn as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
-
Lego and Serpentine celebrate World Play Day with a new pavilion
Lego and Serpentine have just unveiled their Play Pavilion; a colourful new structure in Kensington Gardens in London and a gesture that celebrates World Play Day (11 June)
-
Inside Abbey Road's refresh: touring the legendary studio's new interior
Abbey Road gets an interior refresh by Threefold Architects, bringing the legendary London recording studio in tune with the 21st century
-
The Serpentine Pavilion 2025 is ready to visit, ‘an exhibition you can use’
The Serpentine Pavilion 2025 is ready for its public opening on 6 June; we toured the structure and spoke to its architect, Marina Tabassum