Selencky Parsons designs glass and white concrete house in Oxfordshire

The house is accessed by crossing a white concrete bridge over a water feature, which also doubles as the top of a light well for the basement level of the house, to a paved area at the front. Inside, two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and a glass-fronted living room and kitchen are spread across the ground floor. Wooden treads that cantilever from a cast concrete wall between the living room and kitchen lead up to a master bedroom, en-suite bathroom and dressing room – with access to a glass-lined roof terrace. «A double-height space that affords views through to the rear garden marks the entrance, whilst a sculpture set within a glazed niche draws you through the house,» said the architects. In the double-height living room, a high-level strip of glazing naturally lights the space from first floor level, while a series of pendant lights hang from the perforated white ceiling. «The articulation of the form has been rigorously pared down to two contrasting interacting elements consisting of crisp white, predominantly horizontal, folding planes inlaid with richly textured randomised vertical timber battens,» said the architects. «Floating horizontal planes, softened with random Iroko linings, reduce the visual mass of the building and emphasise the horizontality of the landscape,» they said. The open-plan dining room and kitchen has white furnishings and accents of light blue paintwork. Slim strips of the timber are used to create areas of opaque facade at the front of the property and to break up large sections of glazing. The bedrooms, which have opaque walls, are reached through the open-plan living room. On the ground floor, the glass-fronted living spaces are defined from the hallway by sections of timber inlaid into the limestone floor. The stairs also lead down to two bedrooms, a bathroom and a games room – lit by the water-filled light well – on the basement level. The sections of untreated Iroko – a west African hardwood traditionally used in boat building – aim to reference the nearby river. Pieces of timber set perpendicularly into a recess in the roof structure allows light to pass through to the terrace and glazed dining area. Site plan – click for larger imageBasement floor plan – click for larger imageGround floor plan – click for larger imageFirst floor plan – click for larger imageNorth elevation – click for larger imageSouth elevation – click for larger image Small spotlights set into the underside of the overhanging white concrete roof reflect off the water at night. A plane of concrete that extends from the roof to create a covering for the seating area is supported on slim black columns. «A gentle sound of trickling water permeates throughout the house reinforcing the serene river setting,» said the architects.