A Sense of Place
At Hawkes Architecture we are passionate that our buildings are rooted to the unique qualities of their individual place. We develop an intimate understanding of the characteristics defining each site and the individual requirements of our client. This allows a unique response to develop & drive the material palette. The dilemma of ‘placeless’ buildings is the result of nationalised material suppliers and a loss of understanding the built history and skills of a locality. What is the local vernacular? Past and present prevalent local trades & crafts? Can they be reinterpreted to suit environmentally sensitive design?
At Hawkes Architecture we are passionate that our buildings are rooted to the unique qualities of their individual place. We develop an intimate understanding of the characteristics defining each site and the individual requirements of our client. This allows a unique response to develop & drive the material palette. The dilemma of ‘placeless’ buildings is the result of nationalised material suppliers and a loss of understanding the built history and skills of a locality. What is the local vernacular? Past and present prevalent local trades & crafts? Can they be reinterpreted to suit environmentally sensitive design?
Design Begins with Understanding
At Hawkes Architecture, every project begins with a deep investigation into what makes a place truly unique. We look beyond the surface—studying the rooted landscape, the defining features of local vernacular architecture, and the nuances of material palettes shaped by history, craft, and locality. Our design process is grounded in understanding context: the physical, cultural, and architectural layers that give a place its identity. By reinterpreting traditional forms and challenging outdated ideas, we create buildings that feel both contemporary and deeply connected to their setting. This is how we honour place—not by replicating the past, but by responding to it with care, clarity, and imagination.
Architecture is as much about the materials as it is the design and the look of it
Frank Gehry
Case Studies
Below, you’ll find a selection of carefully considered, place-responsive homes we’ve had the privilege to design. Each one reflects our commitment to creating architecture that responds to its setting, meets our clients’ aspirations, and stands as a lasting contribution to its landscape.
Crossway
Clay tiles for the timbrel vaulted arch
At Crossway we were able to use a traditional hand made peg tile company located only 4 miles away to make a different shaped tile for our arch. This led this small business to supply the same design of tile for Berry Brothers & Rudd’s wine vault in London! and thus securing a new innovation & income stream for this small cottage industry. The arch at Crossway is a beautiful case study into many dynamics of sustainability and it underpins the Hawkes ethos in so many ways.
At Crossway we were able to use a traditional hand made peg tile company located only 4 miles away to make a different shaped tile for our arch. This led this small business to supply the same design of tile for Berry Brothers & Rudd’s wine vault in London! and thus securing a new innovation & income stream for this small cottage industry. The arch at Crossway is a beautiful case study into many dynamics of sustainability and it underpins the Hawkes ethos in so many ways.
Green Fox Farm
Locally sourced Timber cladding
Green Fox Farm is located between a golf course and a SSSI near Cambridge; the property is clad with locally sourced English cedar which enables the building to assimilate within the treeline, the rolling arable fields and grassy meadows.
Green Fox Farm is located between a golf course and a SSSI near Cambridge; the property is clad with locally sourced English cedar which enables the building to assimilate within the treeline, the rolling arable fields and grassy meadows.
Sulby
Ageing with Grace
Sulby in Northamptonshire is nestled in the middle of a wooded glade and as such the palette for this project is predominantly hard wood timber shingle, a beautiful natural cladding material that will age gracefully over time and compliment the woodland setting.
Sulby in Northamptonshire is nestled in the middle of a wooded glade and as such the palette for this project is predominantly hard wood timber shingle, a beautiful natural cladding material that will age gracefully over time and compliment the woodland setting.
Tunwold
Couture material palette
Tunwold is a home set within an old quarry within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The scheme comprises three principal architectural elements; modest structures which redefine the historic curtilage and ensure wider contextual views are maintained & enhanced, a bedroom wing set within the sloping former quarry which itself acts as a device to mark this aspect of the life’s history. The third architectural element is a crisply detailed contemporary pavilion form containing primary living accommodation. The form of this building, when viewed from the distant public realm, recedes into the landscape much like existing agricultural buildings & farmsteads seen in the area. Each architectural element has its own unique palette of materials & details which respond to these distinct characteristics of the site.
Tunwold is a home set within an old quarry within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The scheme comprises three principal architectural elements; modest structures which redefine the historic curtilage and ensure wider contextual views are maintained & enhanced, a bedroom wing set within the sloping former quarry which itself acts as a device to mark this aspect of the life’s history. The third architectural element is a crisply detailed contemporary pavilion form containing primary living accommodation. The form of this building, when viewed from the distant public realm, recedes into the landscape much like existing agricultural buildings & farmsteads seen in the area. Each architectural element has its own unique palette of materials & details which respond to these distinct characteristics of the site.
Water Lane
Peg tiled roof
Water Lane, with its undulating parametric peg tiled roof, draws upon the undulating topography of deeply incised ghyll valleys and ancient woodland clearings and fuses this with the characteristic old peg tiled barns whose rooflines ripple under the weight of tiles and time. We’ve sought to embrace and exaggerate these qualities, adding a theme of Dali’s melted clocks where we have felt it appropriate to celebrate a view or grab some direct sunlight into the building.
Water Lane, with its undulating parametric peg tiled roof, draws upon the undulating topography of deeply incised ghyll valleys and ancient woodland clearings and fuses this with the characteristic old peg tiled barns whose rooflines ripple under the weight of tiles and time. We’ve sought to embrace and exaggerate these qualities, adding a theme of Dali’s melted clocks where we have felt it appropriate to celebrate a view or grab some direct sunlight into the building.
Tree House
Growing within the Treeline
Our Tree House project, built within a long established woodland block on the edge of a small Cotswold village, the property will be clad with a combination of charred timber and bronze to help the building blend seamlessly into its landscape setting. The predominantly elevated structure serves to blur the lines of the building and retain low level views between tree trunks across & through the site.
Our Tree House project, built within a long established woodland block on the edge of a small Cotswold village, the property will be clad with a combination of charred timber and bronze to help the building blend seamlessly into its landscape setting. The predominantly elevated structure serves to blur the lines of the building and retain low level views between tree trunks across & through the site.
Grounded Architecture
Every project we design begins with a deep understanding of its landscape, history, and context. At Hawkes Architecture, we believe that buildings should grow from their surroundings—sensitive, enduring, and uniquely of their place. If you’re looking to create a home that truly belongs, we’d love to hear from you.