New Build
A Sculptural Country House Rooted in Landscape and Celestial Alignment
Our client has been carefully extending their landholding over a number of years with the aim of being good stewards of the landscape, restoring and maintaining a diverse range of valuable habitats. While planning policy allows for replacement dwellings, it does not typically cover the scale of increase proposed here. The site had already secured consent for a modest contemporary replacement dwelling, but the client sought something far more ambitious and meaningful.
The architectural narrative for this scheme emerges from the client’s deep knowledge of, and passion for, solar and lunar orientation. Nestled within a wide natural bowl, the house aligns with key solar and lunar positions, with an elevated perspective offered from a nearby stone circle located at the intersection of several ancient ley lines.
The proposals were fully endorsed by The Design Review Panel, and on 27th March 2025 Ashford Borough Council approved our plans for this exceptional new Paragraph 84 dwelling in rural Kent.
Project Narrative
Developed through rigorous landscape analysis in collaboration with Squires Young and Louise Hooper Landscape Architects, the proposals extend this study into built form and character. The result is a bold sculptural design that embraces multiple orientations, allowing the home to adapt to different functions and times of day and year. Numerous landscape enhancement strategies are interwoven with the architecture, creating a rich tapestry of design objectives and positioning the house as a suitably befitting main country residence within a newly established farmstead.
The house is nestled into a wide bowl, with an elevated view possible from a stone circle which lies is located at the connection point of various lay lines.
