Meadow House

The design sailed through planning despite vociferous objection from one neighbour and Max & lizzie decided to press on. After getting a few budget estimates from a few local contractors, we interviewed two and chose a contractor and raced to get the drawing package done. Although the contractor said all the right things, months went by as we waited for them to complete their costings – finally to be told that they had failed to get any timber frame sub-contractors on board. The tender they finally put forward was nearly 40% higher than their first quotation so they were cast aside. By this time, Max & Lizzie were living in his mother’s house and the house had been demolished. We raced to find a new contractor who finally got on site in 2022.

The house is again single-storey, and we created a long living wing set beneath a mono-pitched roof that was placed at the edge of the Settlement Boundary, and to the southern end, a flat-roofed bedroom wing touches the back corner, framing a terrace deck. To create a sense of arrival (the site sits at the end of a narrow approach drive) we formed a court and this was enclosed by a third wing, containing garage/ guest bedroom, and the entrance which itself was a glazed link that opened straight into a small outdoor court. The court walls were formed in flint, with black timber above the clerestorey above the living wing. We wanted the house to be black – a stealth like object sitting in a meadow, so walls are in black-stained timber, and roofs in black zinc (sedum to flat roofs).

Internally, the clients wanted an open plan arrangement, but at the same time liked the idea of discrete spaces, so we used a plywood freestanding storage unit as a room divider. We also placed the fireplace in the window wall to make the main space more intimate.

The house was shortlisted for an RIBA Award in 2026.