Berkshire HouseRealized

Background
This multi-award winning design in Berkshire, consists of a 900 sqm new-build contemporary detached home set within a breath taking twelve-acre site adjacent to the River Thames.

The modern house includes a stunning private entrance courtyard, glass walls, multiple garages, outdoor swimming pool, out buildings and a tennis court.

The site is accessed via a pair of grand, Grade I Listed metal gates and a gravelled driveway leading to the central courtyard which is completely enclosed by the house and out-buildings.

The planning authority requested a dwelling of architectural merit in order to replace the much smaller dwelling previously situated upon the site.

The Brief
Gregory Phillips’ interior design team and our architects were commissioned to create a luxurious and comfortable modern home that is both practical and beautiful.

Fluid relationships between the interior and exterior spaces are formed via vast sliding doors that open out onto the garden; the luxurious ranges of fabrics, natural stone, red cedar cladding and marble create layers of texture.

Entry to the house itself is made by crossing an enclosed reflecting pool leading into a double height space, from here the building is predominantly glazed to face the far-reaching north-western views with terracing at each level.

The gardens immediately adjacent to the house incorporate an infinity edged swimming pool and a tennis court, the landscaping follows a simple, semi-formal layout which leads on to the extensive grounds and open countryside beyond.

Outcomes
The layout of the house evolved from a simple diagram incorporating a protected centralised courtyard flanked by glazed single-aspect rooms affording magnificent countryside views, inspired by traditional country houses with adjoining stable yards.

The extensive contemporary flint-work used within the courtyard reinterprets the flint-work within the surrounding village, and in particular the mediaeval church that is within view of the property. The horizontal strips of render almost extend and reinforce the contours of the site when viewing the property from the river.