The courtyard sits at the heart of the house and a ventilation duct on the second floor brings in light and natural breeze. While hitting the house is gently drawn into the courtyard it is the slightly curved outward roof of the south side that directs the air outside. This also helps in cooling the house naturally on less boisterous days!
Both acoustically and visually this common courtyard leading to the living area kitchen and dining is carefully hidden from the boisterous world that surrounds it. Adding to this is the cedar cladding that filters out any remaining sounds to offer an inviting modern and quiet living environment filled with tranquility.
As you step into the house and move towards the smart bedrooms with bespoke loft beds and space-savvy furniture you realize that on the other side sits a cantilevered structure that is engulfed in lush green canopy.
It is a beautiful fireplace in the living room that sits at the heart of the formal zone designed by Mountford Architects. Lovely stonework and timber clad wall sections bring textural beauty to this area even as it slowly melts into the more informal family space next to it.
It is the lower floor of this family home that contains the living area kitchen dining and pantry along with a restroom and additional storage space. On the top floor one finds the bedrooms and bathrooms as the demarcation between public and private space is well-defined.
Life at this dreamy dwelling is all about self-sustenance with four wood-burning stoves powering the heating needs of the entire house. Wood sourced from the landscape around the house is used here even as an array of photovoltaic panels brings solar energy to this British home. Timeless and yet adapting to changing times this is a makeover that weaves together past present and future!
A sensible transformation of an old structure into modern dwelling saves time and resources. It is this adaptive reuse of buildings that has seen the spurt of modern industrial style across the globe.