Set within a seven-acre site in an area of officially designated natural beauty, the building started life as an oast house, a quirk of the vernacular of this part of South-eastern England.
Originally designed as a space for drying hops, these brick structures - frequently circular roundels - with their pointed white cowels, are a familiar site in Kent and Sussex
The project not only involved restoring the brick built barn and roundels, but also the construction of a new annex
The house is designed to accommodate the client's need for family space, work rooms, and a sizeable garage. At the same time, it needed to blend with the surrounding landscape, views, existing architecture and strict stipulations of the planners
A series of courtyards and patios intersect with the kinked roofline of the annex, allowing for sheltered views across between different parts of the house, in addition to the far-reaching views across the expansive site
The annex massively increases the available accommodation, creating a sprawling house of over 400 sq m
The new space includes bedrooms, a playroom, study, gym, kitchen and living spaces, all on top of a subterranean garage
Downstairs, the annex reaches out to the west, encompassing a sizeable new living area and new kitchen
It also encompass a playroom and study
Picture windows frame the views
The careful detailing eschews skirtings, gutters and other extraneous details, forming a truly modern set of spaces
The master bedroom suite is tucked away on the first floor of the original structure, with an additional bedroom formed from the circular space of an oast house (the other houses a stair)
Concrete is used for floors and work surfaces
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