Fen Stables

Residence in Stowmarket, Suffolk.

This project proposes a new house on land with two existing agricultural buildings in Suffolk. The house is designed to engage positively with the surrounding landscape which is flat, marshy and open. The building is designed as two distinct elements with the main single-storey wing being positioned further to the North and running with the grain of the narrow plot. The main part of the house is on elevated land out of danger of flooding.  It is grounded, contained and has open corners with patios to provide views of the landscape to the north.

The stilted, elevated wing above the marshy landscape allows for new ponds and reed beds to be created below and adjacent to the building thereby enhancing the habitat for wildlife and plants and substantially increasing biodiversity on the plot. This is further supported by a green, sedum roof upon the grounded wing.

The position of the proposal allows for a privacy buffer between the neighbouring property, and the single-storey aspect means the building is hunkered down from the view of the terraces along the street. This is also helped by the thick tree belt to the south and southeast of the site.

A secondary wing grows out of the main wing and runs perpendicular to the grain of the plots to maximise views, solar gain, engagement with the marshy land to the east of the main plot and to express the contemporary nature of the new house.

The material palette has been carefully considered so that the proposed design appropriately references local context, site history, and further expresses the two distinct forms of the proposal. Materials with a more solid, and heavy appearance have been chosen for the wing which is not within the flood plain. This is further reinforced by minimal fenestrations to the neighbouring side. Lighter materials with a more open form have been chosen for the projecting wing stilted over the floodplain, which contains the majority of the fenestrations. This visually lightens the form further and makes the best use of the open views to the north and south.