This barn, located in Little Tew in the heart of the Cotswolds, was converted into a country retreat.
Little Tew, Oxfordshire
Completed 2017
Our proposal converted the derelict site from a redundant machinery workshop into a 3 bedroom residence, an artist studio and 2 garages.
Ghost House
Balaclava Projects
Morton Paddox, Warwickshire
Completed 2019
Completed in early 2019, Ghost House won a regional RIBA award in May and went on to be longlisted for the RIBA House of the Year Award.
Inspired by the work of Tadao Ando, the house is built entirely from in-situ concrete with all internal and external walls exposed.
Kuro Koti
Private Client
Harborne, BIrmingham
Completed 2022
There has always been a rather unusual house on this prominent corner and most of it is still there under layers of insulation, concrete and charred timber.
The genius loci of this site is to be set apart from the suburban norm and this tradition has been maintained.
The client had a really clear vision for this transformation and an exacting approach to the detailed execution.
Recent occupiers include Channel 5’s The Gadget Show.
www.kurokoti.com
Pittville Crescent
Boo Homes
Cheltenham
Completed 2015
The development took reference from neighbouring properties and sought to provide a more contemporary solution to the Pittville semi-detached villa typology. The built form is four storeys high and arranged symmetrically. It is stepped back from the road allowing a large planted front garden, and the top foor is signifcantly set back to allow the lower parapet height to read more prominently.
The Pittville Estate was planned by Joseph Pitt in the early 1800s whose
vision was to create an impressive estate of large villas, terraces and open parkland. The vision was never fully realised due to fnancial constraints, leading to infll housing of a poorer standard compared to the original Regency villas.
By introducing a building that was similar in height and scale to its neighbours, we sought to restore the street scene, and help realise Joseph Pitt’s original vision.
Hedge House
10M
Knowle
Completd 2019
Set in 6.5 acres close to the village of Knowle, near Solihull, Hedge House measures 55m in length by 10m in width over two storeys.
The Old Vicarage New House
Private Client
Claverdon, Warwickshire
Completed 2022
Our clients had long dreamt of building a modest low energy home in their garden, in which to spend their later life.
Mary Street
Malcolm Kirkham & Jan Arkwright
Jewellery Quarter
Completed 2018
Built in 1823 this previously derelict Grade II Listed workshop sits across the road from our ofce. Over the course of 2017 - 2018 the building underwent a sympathetic transformation for new owners Jan & Malcolm, who now call it home.
The project was awarded the Birmingham Civic Society Renaissance Award 2019.
Hiavens
Javelin Block
Banbury, Oxfordshire
2019 - present
An abandoned 100 acre site presented our client with an opportunity to replace a group of semi-derelict buildings with a contemporary version of a farmhouse.
Invisible House
Balaclava Projects
Warwickshire
Completed 2022
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Set in Morton Paddox, amongst a number of mature trees, the concept seeks to deconstruct a traditional house into its individual components, where each room is designed as a pavilion.
These pavilions cantilever from a piled core giving the illusion that they are foating above the existing landscape.
The use of smoked mirrors refecting the surrounding environment blurs the boundaries between the building and landscape. The pavilions are interlinked by a translucent glass bridge.
Marl House
Private Client Staffordshire 2020 onwards
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The discovery of an old marl pool situated in the southern part of the site led us to conceive the house as a large extraction pit, dug into the sloping ground.
- Sustainable.
- Multi generational.
- Zero carbon in operation.
- Very low embodied carbon.
- On course to surpass RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge standards.
and character:
The Court House
Private Client
Gloucestershire
Completed 2009
We worked with the owners of Court House over a period of 4-5 years involving a number of phases of works to the Grade II Listed property.
The initial phase of work was focused on improving the level of comfort within the main Grade II Listed dwelling. Works were sensitively carried out to improve its energy efciency, draft proofng and insulation.
Through consultation and dialogue between the owners and the local authority conservation ofcer, an oakframed single storey extension was designed – replacing a previous PVC-u conservatory which was rarely used.
The extension provides open plan family living space and connected a number of the historic rooms without altering the layout of the listed house. It also enabled and encouraged connection with the main rear garden and other informal
external spaces and courtyards. The relocation of the existing kitchen into the centre of the plan allowed this to become the heart of the building.
Sensitive internal alterations and refurbishments to the frst foor provided a new family bathroom and master bedroom with en-suite and walk-inwardrobe. The extension was fnished with a green roof to reduce visual impact from the frst foor.
Freshwater Lane
Boo Homes St Mawes, Cornwall 2022 onwards
Concept designs for a bespoke house overlooking the Percuil River Esturary which included interesting explorations in:
- Contextual v Contemporary
- Views v Security
- Sunshine v Privacy
- Massive v Lightweight
- Stone v Render
Windmill Lane
Private Client Dorridge 2020 onwards
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A highly sustainable family home embedded into the landscape.
After a positive fnal review by Design: Midlands our proposals for Windmill Lane were submitted to planning.
The design of the house evolved from placing the accommodation onto the
existing topography, then lifting and folding the form and the ground until the right balance was achieved.
The ‘z’ shape ofers the opportunity to enclose and frame external spaces with diferent qualities, emphasising and enhancing current landscape characteristics.
Beaconwood
Private Client Stratford-Upon-Avon 2021 onwards
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With a burial mound 100 metres away, the concept design for this house takes inspiration from iron age settlements.
Designed to be hidden in the surrounding landscape, this negative carbon straw bale house was unanimously approved at planning in early August 2022.
Words and images by
Rob Colbourne
Landscape Architect
Reimagining a lost Warwickshire landscape:
The proposal aims to reinvigorate this landscape by re-imagining woodland coverts that occupied Bordon Hill.
Warwickshire hedgerows, cleft post and rail fences can augment existing pathways around the site, whilst lost orchards and woodland ponds can fnd also new contemporary uses to improve biodiversity.
Beckford Glasshouse
Private Client
Beckford, Worcestershire 2021
Concept sketch for re-using a Glasshouse as a residential house.
Cedar House
Steve Smith & Balaclava Projects
Warwickshire
2020
countryside.
The Compound
Javelin Block
Jewellery Quarter
Completed 2014
The former textile factory’s steel frame was retained, brickwork left exposed, and industrial fxtures and fttings were left in place. The majority of the building was left open volume with parts of the space screened of with reclaimed steelframed windows and doors.
With a total of 8500sqft of foor space, the building is broken down into several
elements: a bar and 25-seater cinema are located in the basement; the ground foor is home to a large kitchen area and several lounge and dining areas, as well as vehicle parking; the frst foor is made up of balconies and mezzanines with living spaces and private areas to be used for sleeping or studying; on the second foor, there’s an ofce and studio flled with natural light; and at the very top
of the building (‘The Treehouse’) there is a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Additional bedrooms and bathrooms exist throughout the building.
The space is regularly hired out for photoshoots, tv/flming and corporate events, and has hosted the likes of Channel 4, BBC, Ed Sheeran, MTV and Steven Spielberg.
Willow House
Private Client Cowley, Cheltenham 2021 onwards
Planning permission was granted for a new house in a village to the south of Cheltenham in 2022.
Willow House completes the trilogy of houses we have worked on with this client since 2006.
The materials for the building are based upon how each section responds to the site levels, these include stone, charred timber cladding, glazing and traditional Cotswold stone tile.
The Haymes
Private Client
Cleeve Hill, Gloucester
Completed 2006
The Haymes is a large, Grade II listed, country house built on the side of Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire. The original house was started in the mid 18th century and was sensitively extended in the early 20th century and again, in a less appropriate way, in the latter half of the 20th century. Both of these extensions continued with a similar use of materials.
In 2006 we were appointed to reconfgure the house to suit the needs
of the new owners. This reconfguration also required some modest extensions, which helped to better connect zones of the existing house. The extensions and remodelling of the existing had the added beneft of giving more coherence to the external form of the building.
The new additions continued to use the existing pallet of materials, but used them in a more contemporary way.
