Replacement Dwelling
An energy-efficient, sustainable family home that balances tradition with contemporary living
Following a competition, the team was appointed to design a substantial new country house set within a 50-acre site in rural Hampshire. The brief was both ambitious and inspiring: to create an energy-efficient, sustainable family home that balanced tradition with contemporary living. The client had a deep appreciation for the timeless qualities of traditional design but also sought a home that embraced modern expression and a lifestyle attuned to the present.
Our design responded by maintaining an informal relationship between the house and its commanding views across the rolling rural landscape. Two principal buildings were carefully positioned to frame three mature oak trees, while a series of articulated spaces and terraces allowed the house to settle effortlessly into its sloping hilltop setting. The use of materials was both thoughtful and evocative—chalk and flint, chosen for their historic ties to the region, grounded the home in its surroundings while allowing it to feel fresh and forward-looking.
The result was a dwelling that didn’t just replace what came before—it redefined it. Rooted in tradition yet unmistakably contemporary, the house became a seamless blend of past and future.
