Derwent Valley Villa celebrates ‘living in a garden’
Derwent Valley Villa by Blee Halligan is a project created to celebrate nature and life

Henry Woide - Photography
The Derwent Valley, a green, rural landscape of floodplains and rolling hills in the UK's Derbyshire, is the picturesque setting for this modernist-inspired house by architecture studio Blee Halligan. The new-build family home not only pays homage to its environment, through its red brick that references local cotton mills, and low, modest forms that work harmoniously with the nature around them in a ‘living in a garden' approach; its design is also intrinsically tied to the passing of one of the clients mid-project due to illness, and celebrates their favourite views.
The clients wanted to make the most out of the project's generous site, its light, views and green gardens. ‘The strategy was to deconstruct the building and extend the plan through the site, so as to maximise the experience of “living in a garden”. The building defines a variety of linked garden spaces, each of different scale, orientation and outlook,' say the architects, led by studio founders Greg Blee and Lee Halligan.
The garden’s character mimics the local River Ecclesbourne, the team add, so the house's shape weaves in views of verdant landscapes as well as natural, tactile materials – from the blue and red brick façades to the pre-cast concrete banding and capping stones.
Inside, the ground floor is dominated by an expansive, and partially double-height living space that opens up fully to the garden through a long, glazed façade. ‘Inspired by the mill interiors of steelwork and exposed timber beams, this is a space that is intended to be durable and adaptable,' the architects say. A slightly separate utility structure contains guest space, as well as a garage and a mud room, connected gracefully to the main home via a specially designed corridor, open on both sides towards nature. Meanwhile, the upper level, reached via an open, feature staircase, contains the home's bedrooms (a master and three smaller rooms).
Wellbeing played a key role in the design development. The garden was conceived as a restorative space, composed around the principles of a Zen garden. The clever interweaving of natural and manmade elements, and the strong visual presence of plants within the project maximise the experience of being engulfed in greenery at every turn.
INFORMATION
bleehalligan.co.uk
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
A new London house delights in robust brutalist detailing and diffused light
London's House in a Walled Garden by Henley Halebrown was designed to dovetail in its historic context
By Jonathan Bell
-
A Sussex beach house boldly reimagines its seaside typology
A bold and uncompromising Sussex beach house reconfigures the vernacular to maximise coastal views but maintain privacy
By Jonathan Bell
-
This 19th-century Hampstead house has a raw concrete staircase at its heart
This Hampstead house, designed by Pinzauer and titled Maresfield Gardens, is a London home blending new design and traditional details
By Tianna Williams
-
An octogenarian’s north London home is bold with utilitarian authenticity
Woodbury residence is a north London home by Of Architecture, inspired by 20th-century design and rooted in functionality
By Tianna Williams
-
What is DeafSpace and how can it enhance architecture for everyone?
DeafSpace learnings can help create profoundly sense-centric architecture; why shouldn't groundbreaking designs also be inclusive?
By Teshome Douglas-Campbell
-
The dream of the flat-pack home continues with this elegant modular cabin design from Koto
The Niwa modular cabin series by UK-based Koto architects offers a range of elegant retreats, designed for easy installation and a variety of uses
By Jonathan Bell
-
Are Derwent London's new lounges the future of workspace?
Property developer Derwent London’s new lounges – created for tenants of its offices – work harder to promote community and connection for their users
By Emily Wright
-
Showing off its gargoyles and curves, The Gradel Quadrangles opens in Oxford
The Gradel Quadrangles, designed by David Kohn Architects, brings a touch of playfulness to Oxford through a modern interpretation of historical architecture
By Shawn Adams