Farmer's House by AR Design Studio in the South Downs National Park, UK

Project: Farmer's House

Architects: AR Design Studio

Location: South Downs National Park, United Kingdom

Area: 6,598 sq ft

Farmer's House by AR Design Studio

AR Design Studio designed the Farmer's House on a private plot in the western part of the South Downs National Park in the United Kingdom. The living space of around 6,500 square feet is oriented towards maximum use of the natural environment, making open spaces a noticeable feature.

The Farmer's House serves as a base for AR Design Studio clients who return to an English village after travels to tend to their farm. Located on a private plot in the far western part of the South Downs National Park, the rural setting is the main reason for its existence.

Clients approached AR Design Studio with a request to add a fully autonomous annex connected to the main building, which would serve as a space for children and grandchildren when they visit.

The existing building underwent several modifications and extensions over the years, leading to a mismatch in style and an uncomfortable feeling that the structure did not fit the site.

The AR Design Studio team proposed an extension and renovation that would unify everything into a single elegant design. The old and new are connected by a glass transition between the existing house and the new annex. The annex, located to the east, is surrounded by a large covered terrace for relaxation and dining. The pool-side terrace sits at the center in front of the house, connected to a large smooth canopy roof. This roof spans over the existing building and continues to the western side of the plot, providing additional shelter for relaxation. The canopy includes openings for existing trees and partial shading elements that offer protection to the southern facade using thin wooden louvers.

In terms of updating the existing house, the traditional geometry is preserved, and materiality is used to unite the project. The unifying gesture continues with zinc starting from the northern side of the existing building and continuing over the roof to provide shade for the southern side, while the rest of the existing façade is now clad in Kebony wood to match the extension.

The palette of natural and artificial materials was carefully selected. Zinc has a strong agricultural tone that defines the context and client's history, while also offering protection. This contrasts with the linear wooden cladding which acts as a modern yet rural material, and fibrous concrete provides a cool thin structure that complements the warm wooden details.

Visually, the extension appears as a single whole placed within the landscape, with a cozy kitchen/dining room and pantry on the first floor along with two of three bedrooms. Small openings in the wooden cladding provide natural light, but their size is minimal to protect rooms from visibility by driveways. The façade geometry is clad in fibrous concrete, which offers greater privacy for the dining room. A hidden underground mass below avoids a visual volume that could overshadow the proportions of the existing house and includes a bedroom, utility room, and garage for two cars.

Interior finishes are minimal with cool grey tones similar to the fibrous concrete cladding. Warm accents are constantly visible through furniture and wooden cladding.

East-facing bedrooms receive morning light and offer expansive views of the surrounding South Downs, while strategically placed hatches throughout the project bring natural light into deeper parts of the layout.

The project is now presented as a single architectural form stretching across the garden plot. Looking at it from a broader context, the strong geometry sits among a structured landscape that gently transitions into farmland beyond.

– AR Design Studio