Winter House

Winter house is a replacement dwelling within a 1 acre site in a conservation area in Rolleston on Dove, Staffordshire. The site is bound by impressive, protected trees.

The client imposed no architectural style, accommodation schedule or brief; only the dimensions of his art collection to accommodate within the design - a true blank canvas of a project. The building is 550 sq m arranged over 2 floors. The ground level hosts living spaces and a fitness suite, while four bedrooms are located upstairs. The street-facing side of the building is restrained and solid, punctuated only with a few sections of glass. The dark materials serve to minimise the impact of the building behind the protected greenery - a request by the conservation officer. To the private, garden side however, the building is wrapped with expanses of angled glazing - an extroverted aesthetic which allows the building to connect with the it's architectural gardens at every turn. Achieving a symbiotic relationship between house and nature was a deliberate design objective. Glazing, structure and all associated details were considered to enable a series of seamless inside / outside living spaces. The client remarks on this element of the design as being the the biggest success of the building and what gives the family most joy.