Old Bearhurst, UK, by Duggan Morris Architects
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
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
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
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