contemporary woodland home, berkshire
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sandford barn is a modern eco-house on a woodland plot in berkshire, and one of our own developments. large mature oaks dominate the site, which ruled out a conventional layout and made the trees, rather than the house, the starting point for every decision.
the consented scheme gives future residents a comfortable modern home while leaving the site richer in nature than before, with new native hedging and dedicated space for the wildlife that already lives there.
the oaks were here first.
mature trees and wildlife are often treated as obstacles to be managed. here we treated them as the brief. working with ecologist daniel ahern and planning consultants woolf bond, we won consent for a home that protects what makes the place special.
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residents as stewards
a home like this only works if the people living in it understand the balance they're part of. the layout and landscape make that balance visible, so looking after the site will become part of everyday life rather than a set of rules.
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space for wildlife
the garden is divided into ecological zones for the slow-worms, hedgehogs, frogs, deer and foxes that use the site. new native hedges, laid by hand (stems part-cut and woven into a dense living barrier), strengthen habitat along the boundaries.
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planned around the oaks
the house is positioned around the root zones and canopies of the mature oaks at the heart of the plot. protecting the trees shaped the footprint and frames the views from every room.
