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Stockers Farm

This house replaces an existing farm building that had gained approval for residential use. The new house sits between open fields, an ancient woodland and two lakes on the outskirts of Chichester.
The building form owes much to farm sheds, but their design is a contemporary interpretation of the vernacular using flint and dark stained timber.

Although a large house of 488m2, the brief called for a house that was modest upon approach and revealed itself slowly. Low and modest upon arrival, it opens up into tall, vaulted spaces. The plan arrangement continues our interest in houses that are arranged in distinct volumes – ancillary ,living , sleeping – and assembled around outdoor spaces. 

The central mono-pitched wing arranged north-south contains the main living spaces. To its east side a pitched roof wing contains bedrooms and is arranged at right angles so that it forms an ‘L-shaped’ that embraces a clearing to the woodland and lakes, while to the west, a third wing contains a garage and office space and is set further forward to contain a walled garden to the rear, as well as creating an entrance court to the front.

Each wing is set at a subtly different level to follow the site levels and these are connected by glazed links. 

Entering into a low lobby space with boot room, a few steps down enters the tall volume of the central living space that is largely fully glazed onto the woodland to one side, and has a high level clerestory to admit afternoon sun to the other. Stepping into another low space and down two further steps enters into the bedroom wing.

Externally, the ‘public’ ground floor walls of the house are in flint, while the walls facing the private faces are clad in dark stained vertical timber boarding. The roof is clad in dark grey standing-seam zinc, with inset PV panels. The house is designed to be largely off-site pre-fabricated using a Douglas fir frame and cross laminated timber panelled walls.

The landscape is our second collaboration with the wonderful Charlotte Rathbone of The Rathbone Partnership, who will restore the lakes and surrounding landscape on this 5 Ha (c.12 acre) site to nature, with mown fields transformed into wildflower meadows. A new walled garden will provide domesticity and places to grow food.

Client Confidential
Status In planning
Contract value £Confidential
GIA m2 488 m2
Landscape architect Rathbone Partnership
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