Far End, Oxfordshire
Residential, Rural
2014
We all dream of escaping to the country, don’t we? The idea of waking up to birdsong, surrounded by rolling fields, productive farmland, idyllic hamlets and ancient woodland - far from the madding crowds - appeals to something deep within us all. For one recent client, a young couple and their small child, that dream was made a reality with the help of Peter Feeny Architects and our bespoke glazing.
Without time and careful consideration, many rural designs can – at best – fall short of expectations, and – even worse – detract from the surrounding landscape, standing as a monument to disappointment. We’re pleased to report that this house has no such monument. Instead, its thoughtfully chosen materials blend homogeneously with the surroundings, elevating the living experience whilst also reflecting the area’s agrarian character.
It is a beacon of beauty created through patience and thoughtfulness. We are proud to have played our part.
The Challenge
The owners of Far End wanted something stylish, created using sustainable materials and blending into the surrounding landscape. In this part of the world, you won’t have to go far to find an ancient oak, standing like a solitary soldier in a bustling agricultural field. As part of this design, that oak has been brought inside, providing an earthy characteristic counterpoint to the sleek and modern materials that you will find throughout.
The Vision
What structure is typical of the agrarian idyll? The humble barn. Clad in untreated oak strips, this modern imagination of a barn might be humble, but it is forward-thinking too, surrounded by a landscape garden filled with trees, low-growing topiary and plenty of wildflowers. Fixing your gaze on the architecture, your eyes will be met by large sections of modern glazing, designed to make the most of the outside space, without making the structure look and feel like a goldfish bowl. You will also notice several recessed balconies that allow the occupant to look out over the surrounding landscape without jutting out and changing the building’s envelope.
Most barns shun glazing in favour of simpler, opaque materials. This project places it front and centre.
The Glass
The occupants of the kitchen and dining area are surrounded by floor-to-ceiling vertical glazing. This allows them to admire the views wherever they happen to be. Taking the stairs downwards, you might feel like the basement should be dark and dingy, but it’s not – it’s a bright and airy piano room thanks to three fixed-frame glass panels. Back upstairs and on the top floor you will find rooflights, positioned to flood the space with the beneficial natural light that we talk about so much.
The Results
Let’s return to our dream of going rural. If we were to escape to the country, Far End in Oxfordshire would happily tick all the boxes. It’s bright, airy, and created using materials that match the landscape, and is likely to be standing for many generations to come.
If we were to use one word to describe this piece of architecture created by Peter Feeny Architects, it would be timeless. To us, it doesn’t represent an escape, it represents a return – to the natural balance that makes us love the countryside so much.
Photography by: Rafael Debreu and Ondrej Mundl.
For more information about our projects and how yours can be elevated through the use of bespoke structural glazing, speak to our team today.
