Private House in Oxfordshire

Situated on the edge of a natural escarpment in Oxfordshire, this new farmhouse will overlook Otmoor to the northwest and the house's own meadow gardens to the southeast. A retaining wall strengthens the definition of the escarpment edge on which one edge of the house will sit. Composed of a collection of four, single-storey courtyard buildings facing in different directions, the design sets up a dialogue between the traditional vernacular farmstead and modern open-plan living. The courtyards mediate the house's relationship with the wider landscape by acting as a series of outdoor rooms that separate the cultivated gardens from the agricultural land beyond. Oriented in four different directions, the courtyards will offer contrasting views out into the wider landscape. The low, horizontal emphasis of the house overall contributes to the proposal's minimal visual impact—a key issue on such a prominent site—while maintaining the spectacular views from it.