A total of 147 individual sections were cut and delivered to the site, where they were assembled in just ten days. This house in the English countryside by London firm Wilkinson King Architects features red cedar cladding and a folded roof designed to evoke the line of hills on the horizon (+ slideshow). The property provides its London-based owners with a retreat in the rural South Downs region of Sussex county and was designed by Wilkinson King Architects to reference the shapes and materials of its natural setting. The upper storey also accommodates three bedrooms beneath the faceted ceiling. Glazed surfaces at the edges of the ground floor provide vistas from the open living area and the enclosed master bedroom. The entrance leads to a double-height reception area with glazed sliding walls that functions as a winter garden and connects with a covered deck outside. It is flanked by a formal garden on one side and a wild flower meadow on the other. Photography is by Paul Riddle. «From the outside the roof form is inspired by and responds to the distant hills of the South Downs,» explained King. Site plan – click for larger imageGround floor plan – click for larger imageFirst floor plan – click for larger imageRoof plan – click for larger imageSection – click for larger image The house replaces a 1950s cottage on the 12-hectare site. Formed of triangular panels and large shards of glazing, this roof create a dynamic pattern of light and shadow throughout the upper level. «The light grey tone of the single ply membrane was chosen to respond to the greyish colour of the hills and be deferential to the sky.»
Western red cedar clads the upper storey. It is positioned next to a glass box that frames a view through the house to the landscape beyond. These spaces are shaded by the timber-clad first floor, designed to seemingly hover above the glass surfaces. Each bedroom has an en-suite contained within wooden walls that don’t reach all the way to the ceiling, leaving a glazed gap that lets light creep through. The ridged roof is made from cross-laminated timber panels that were fabricated using a computer-controlled laser cutter to ensure accuracy and help reduce costs.
