Malthouse Hopyard - IOA complete a new build country house in a sensitive rural area of Kent
This new build country house near Hawkhurst, in Kent, hopes to provide the best of both traditional rural tactility and modern contemporary living. The design had to fulfill a number of stringent planning requirements before receiving final approval, with the council requiring the building’s aesthetic to more closely resemble the traditional timber and brick houses of the locality. After a long iterative process, the design evolved into a suitable reinterpretation of the vernacular.
Large glazed screens allow light to flood the interior spaces while framing the astounding views of the surrounding woodlands. The purple-tinted brick and weathering natural larch will, in time, blend into the surrounding tones. These rough cladding materials are offset by the clean lines of the windows and aluminium trims. Custom designed timber vents succeed in keeping the facade free of unnecessary visual clutter. In a part of the country where it is very difficult to creat a private “garden” space, the house is arranged to partially enclose a section of land to the back of the site, aided by the forest beyond. The house wraps around this space in an “L” shape, creating what feels like a rural courtyard. Despite the significant size of the house and generous ceiling heights, the bedrooms occupy the loft space of the roof to create an intimate and traditionally domestic feel.
