Farmhouse in The Fields

A modern house with stone and wood cladding stands on the edge of a green field under a cloudy sky. The left side of the house features large windows, and a covered veranda faces the open countryside. Trees and distant hedgerows border the field.

The long approach up the driveway to the dilapidated stone cottage at once gave it grandeur while making it look almost melancholy in its isolation. Its cold, grey, rubble stone walls now sat lifeless and empty. 

Having been in the ownership of our clients, who farm the land, for many years, the building had reached the point of needing a major retrofit or a rebuild. Unfortunately, early studies showed it incapable of retention so our thoughts moved to a new build property on the site, with the cottage then deconstructed and the materials stored for later reuse in the new house or on the wider farm.

The site is part of the Limestone Lowland landscape area in North Wiltshire but its usage and large arable expanses makes it feel more akin to the Chalk Plains surrounding Salisbury. The openness was its greatest strength. Bounded only by the hills thirty minutes distant and with no neighbours or inward views of note, it seemed fundamental to embrace that openness and keep our clients connected to the land that they farmed.

The design concept for the new property aimed to minimise its footprint physically, environmentally and visually while simultaneously making the two intrinsic like an old stone farm building nestled amongst its fields.  

The built form is primarily created by two parallel barns of contrasting and evolutionary aesthetic, then bound by existing and new stone walls. The walls enclose and divide the domestic site physically rather than overtly visually, and the mass of the building pushed back in old garden to the point it overhangs the historic stone boundary wall.

The larger of the barns was raised above the ground plain to allow the hills to still bound the approach and a cantilevered metal ramp was used to emphasise this disconnect of the building and the land.

Photography by Charles Emerson

A modern wooden house on stilts is shown in the countryside at sunset. The house has a tiled roof, a chimney, a single square window, and timber panelling. Lush green fields and a cloudy sky stretch into the background.
render of rural house in fields
A modern living room with a tall window showing green fields and grazing cows outside. Inside, there is a black wood-burning stove with a vertical flue, green and cream walls, a woven basket with firewood, and wooden flooring.
Modern kitchen with high vaulted ceiling, exposed timber beams, and sage green walls. Features wooden cupboards, stainless steel appliances, a pale island with two light wooden chairs, large windows with countryside views, and wooden plank flooring throughout.
A bright attic room features slanted white ceilings with two skylights, a wooden desk with an open book, and a classic wooden chair on light wood flooring. Soft natural light fills the minimal, cosy space, highlighting its clean and serene aesthetic.
A small, modern house with a sloping roof stands alone in a green field at sunrise or sunset. Trees and a distant forest line the horizon under a soft, golden sky, bathing the landscape in warm light. The scene is calm and peaceful.
A modern house in a rural setting at sunset, featuring a raised wooden section with large geometric windows connected to a brick section. The building sits on stilts above grass, with a sloped ramp and tree reflections visible in the windows.

Sustainable measures

Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP)

Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR)

Photovoltaic panels

Natural sustainable materials and reused materials

Environmental construction policy to minimise chemical use and construction waste

Passive solar gain regulation/orientation studies undertaken during design

Electric car charging and allocated space for future battery installation

Minimal internal structure to allow future alteration

High insulation levels (low U and Y values)

Home working space

Biodiverse landscaping used

Chippenham, North Wiltshire
Wiltshire Downs New Build