A new family home in rural Harpsden near Henley-on-Thames pays homage to its natural and architectural context. Cherry Tree House, designed by Berkshire-based Guttfield Architecture, is the transformation of a Victorian farm cottage into a modern residence. The architecture was conceived to take into account its historical ‘bones' and celebrate the surrounding green landscape, in particular the distinctive cherry tree on site.
The original period dwelling consisted of three parts: a cottage, the stables and a coach house. Studio founder Fred Guttfield and his team incorporated the various parts into their design, which included removing poorly constructed additions and creating a reimagined cottage with a generous extension.
Creating an eco-friendly, low-energy home was a priority for the team. By retaining the existing structures on site, it was possible to minimise the embodied energy in the new home. Working with a lightweight, largely timber construction also helped to that end. Further sustainability credentials include a ground-source heat pump for heating, and a photovoltaic array that contributes to energy needs.
The structure's carefully articulated façade ensures it looks at home in its natural context. The architects used various surfaces that break down the overall volume and add layering and texture. The exterior now features light-grey cement-board cladding and panels in locally quarried knapped flint, installed by local craftsman Ally Fincken. At the same time, the interior has been kept minimalist and flexible, with an emphasis on spaciousness and architectural geometries, accented by built-in bespoke furniture and joinery.
'Instead of wastefully demolishing all of the buildings and erasing the site’s history, it was key to our approach to retain the original cottage and make it the inspiration for the new architecture on the site,' says Guttfield. ‘As a result, the old and new come together harmoniously with each other and the landscape. All rooms on the south side of the house have been designed to enjoy views of the cherry tree and the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty beyond.'
INFORMATION
-
'I'm trying to examine what it's like to be a person': Author Curtis Sittenfeld on her new book, 'Show Don't Tell'As Curtis Sittenfeld publishes her new book, 'Show Don't Tell', she tells Wallpaper* why she is drawn to her ambiguous characters
-
Waiting for Ideas have recast the turntable as a minimal aluminium altar for vinyl worshipThe PP-1 turntable is an ultra-minimal, all-aluminium record player designed to enhance the vinyl experience
-
Fendi celebrates 100 years with an all-out runway show at its new Milan HQIn the wake of Kim Jones’ departure, Silvia Venturini Fendi took the reins for a special co-ed A/W 2025 collection marking the house’s centenary, unveiling it as the first act of celebrations within Fendi’s expansive new headquarters in Milan
-
This modern Cotswolds home draws on its ancient woodland contextThis contemporary Cotswolds home, designed by NCA Architecture with interiors by Echlin, is a slice of the Mediterranean in the English countryside
-
A Danish twist, compact architecture, and engineering magic: the Don’t Move, Improve 2025 winners are hereDon’t Move, Improve 2025 announces its winners, revealing the residential projects that are rethinking London living
-
This Hampstead house renovation in London transcends styles and periodsThe renovation of a Hampstead house in London by Belgian architect Hans Verstuyft bridges the classic and the contemporary
-
New book takes you inside Frinton Park Estate: the Essex modernist housing scheme‘Frinton Park Estate’, a new book by photographer James Weston, delves into the history of a modernist housing scheme in Essex, England
-
Conran Building's refresh brings a beloved London landmark into the 21st centuryConran Building at 22 Shad Thames has been given a new lease of life by Squire & Partners, which has rethought the London classic, originally designed by Hopkins, for the 21st century
-
Sadler’s Wells East opens: ‘grand, unassuming and beautifully utilitarian’Sadler’s Wells East by O’Donnell and Tuomey opens this week, showing off its angular brick forms in London
-
2025 Serpentine Pavilion: this year's architect, Marina Tabassum, explains her designThe 2025 Serpentine Pavilion design by Marina Tabassum is unveiled; the Bangladeshi architect talks to us about the commission, vision, and the notion of time
-
We celebrate the emerging London architects to be excited aboutThese emerging London architects are some of the capital's finest ground-breakers, movers and shakers; heralding a new generation of architecture
