This naturally led on to practical requirements. In this case, the son and his carers needed their own separate zone, without being cut off from the life of the house. ‘And then we come to the ethical brief,’ continues Richard. ‘What are the values we want to bring to the project? That’s where we deal with sustainability, energy efficiency and situating the house in the local environment. My clients were passionate about all of those elements.’
The resulting house is profoundly satisfying as it has been tailored to fulfil the family’s needs, with no superfluous space. Its four separate zones joined by a central spine means it can be opened up and shut down according to who is there. ‘It’s not a big house,’ says Richard. ‘But it offers a hell of a lot.’ One zone contains the kitchen and sitting area; the second holds the main bedroom; and in a third is a pair of spare rooms ideal for guests. The fourth is a self-contained apartment for the son and his carers, carefully designed to suit him, and easy to close off or open up as needed.
Richard Parr Associates (RPA) designed the black-stained ash units and island; the grain highlights the splashback in olive mustard ‘D-Bar Duo’ tiles from De Ferranti. In the dining area, a trio of photographs by Ben Ingham mirrors the landscaping.
Paul Massey
Richard is well known for his ability to root new buildings through employing a rural vernacular (his work on The Newt in Somerset being the most notable example) and, here, local farm buildings informed his choice of structures and materials. ‘The local vernacular is simple, with some red brick, some black-painted timber cladding, concrete on the floor and then crinkly tin roofs. You also get barns with hit-and-miss bricks, where you have holes in the bricks to allow ventilation. So we used those ideas to create what feels like two lean-to sheds off the central space.’
The scale of the house is clever. No room feels larger than it has to be, but there is a sense of generosity at the same time because the central space is taller than the eaves line, which creates a pleasing airiness. Each of the other rooms has a ceiling that pitches down towards the windows, so they have a more domestic feel. The windows are expansive enough to immerse the occupants in the views over the countryside, without being dauntingly vast. ‘I always avoid huge sheets of glass because they might be nice at certain times, but then at night or during darker times of the year, you’re just looking out into blackness,’ observes Richard.