A paragraph 55 house with gridshell roof structure, extensive accommodation below ground, and use of local materials. Red Kite was designed to visually represent the birds after which it was named. These birds were reintroduced into Britain in the 1990s and the scheme was so successful that these magnificent birds of prey can now be seen in huge numbers around the Berkshire hills. Under Para55 the proposals must be of “exemplary and innovative design” due to the presumption against the addition of new dwellings in the countryside. Colony managed this through cutting-edge structural forms, and a strong narrative driving the design. The house is split over two levels, with the top floor sunk gently into the hillside to reveal a broad open plan above ground, topped with a fantastic timber roof. Bronze shingles shimmer and give the varied colour of the red kite’s feathers, and the roof form evokes wings in flight. below ground are bedroom suites and ancillary accommodation, staff and quest quarters, parking and the sunken arrival courtyard.