The Arbor House by Brown & Brown is a new residence designed as both a showcase of a low energy, crafts-inspired, liveable dwelling, and the home of a couple who relocated to the area from a rural village in the wider region. The result, a house nestled into its sloped site, feels sensitive and unobtrusive, yet at the same time, wonderfully contemporary, flying the flag for quiet, minimalist architecture.
The Arbor House by Brown & Brown
The Arbor House replaces a dilapidated stone structure on site. The stone elements, and even whole parts of it were reused in the new structure.
The project, which was delivered by the architects in partnership with specialist contractor Coldwells Build, and craft workshop Angus & Mack, also features larch cladding and extensive glazing, ensuring that a sense of place, views and sunlight become key parts of the experience of living there.
The home is arranged across two levels, with a boundary wall that balances the need for protection and privacy, with a sense of openness and a connection with the outdoors. Inside, large openings for doors, corridors and windows afford a generosity that allows the house to feel bigger than it really is.
Ensuring this is a home that does not burden its environment, the architects went for natural materials, a ground source heat pump, and a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system. They all add up to a sustainable architecture design with a very low energy in use rating.
‘The Arbor House is a modern home in harmony with its surroundings. We worked with the natural topography of the site to create a secret retreat, tucking the volume of the home in deeper points of the plot to reduce its presence on the street. The original window apertures from the old cottage offer small glimpses into the cloister and courtyard, adding layers and intrigue to the home,' says Andrew Brown, director at Brown & Brown.
Meanwhile, his clients, Russel Davies and Wendy Wilkie, add: 'Brown & Brown have delivered a house which takes our breath away every day, and we realise what a wonderful place this is to live. Living in the countryside, you get accustomed to a level of privacy and tranquillity that this house affords us in an urban setting. The house allows us to enjoy the lifestyle we’ve long wanted: space to host, easy access to the city, and plenty of green space.'
-
Dutch Design Awards 2025 honour a new generation of creativesRecognising the use of AI as a design tool, social commentary, and new materials, this year’s Dutch Design Awards go to Vera van der Burg; Willem de Haan; and Marten van Middelkoop and Joost Dingemans of Plasticiet
-
The return of Genghis Cohen: LA’s cult Chinese diner lives onThe 1980s Chinese-American landmark returns with red booths, neon nostalgia, and a fresh dose of Hollywood eccentricity
-
A monumental exhibition of French design revives the spirit of art deco for contemporary timesThe Galerie des Gobelins hosts the inaugural Salon des Nouveaux Ensembliers, a contemporary movement inspired by art deco’s grand traditions
-
The architectural innovation hidden in plain sight at Frieze London 2025The 2025 Frieze entrance pavilions launch this week alongside the art fair, showcasing a brand-new, modular building system set to shake up the architecture of large-scale events
-
RIBA Stirling Prize 2025 winner is ‘a radical reimagining of later living’Appleby Blue Almshouse wins the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025, crowning the social housing complex for over-65s by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, the best building of the year
-
‘Belonging’ – the LFA 2026 theme is revealed, exploring how places can become personalThe idea of belonging and what it means in today’s world will be central at the London Festival of Architecture’s explorations, as the event’s 2026 theme has been announced today
-
Join us on a first look inside Regent’s View, the revamped canalside gasholder project in LondonRegent's View, the RSHP-designed development for St William, situated on a former gasholder site on a canal in east London, has just completed its first phase
-
The Royal College of Art has announced plans for renewal of its Kensington campusThe Royal College of Art project, led by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, includes the revitalisation of the Darwin Building and more, in the hopes of establishing an open and future-facing place of creativity
-
Power Hall’s glow-up shines light on science and innovation in ManchesterPower Hall at The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester was given a spruce-up by Carmody Groarke, showcasing the past and future of machines, engineering and sustainable architecture
-
Celebrate the angular joys of 'Brutal Scotland', a new book from Simon Phipps'Brutal Scotland' chronicles one country’s relationship with concrete; is brutalism an architectural bogeyman or a monument to a lost era of aspirational community design?
-
Max Creasy on the future of architectural photography and a shift to the ‘snapshot’A show of photographer Max Creasy’s work opens at the AA in London, asking a key question: where is contemporary architectural photography heading?
