Into the woods - Smerin Architects

The timber and Corten steel façade of the newbuild blends in with the surrounding woodland of beech, oak and
chesnut trees. Supported by thin, stainless-steel cables hung from the roof, an overhanging veranda wraps around
the raised-driveway level to provide extra living space without extending the footprint of the house
Into
the
woods
Deep in the East Sussex
countryside sits a modern
house that fits in seamlessly
with its leafy rural
surroundings
TEXT NATALIA RACHLIN
PHOTOGRAPHS MEL YATES
LOCATIONS EDITOR LIZ ELLIOT
000 H O U S E A N D G A R D E N . C O . U K A P R I L 2 0 1 5
H O U S E A N D G A R D E N . C O . U K A P R I L 2 0 1 5 000
OPPOSITE ANTICLOCKWISE FROM TOP Vertically lined timber planks give way to frameless windows at one side
of the house and cantilevers over a smaller glass-and-timber clad structure holding the indoor ground-floor pool
(bottom right). A small bridge cast in Corten steel leads to the front entrance. On the raised-ground floor, purple
furniture contrasts the concrete walls and flooring in the open-plan living area. THIS PAGE Purple kitchen units by
Rational run along the room and are paired with Silestone worktops, both from Kitchen Coordination
000 H O U S E A N D G A R D E N . C O . U K A P R I L 2 0 1 5
H O U S E A N D G A R D E N . C O . U K A P R I L 2 0 1 5 000
OPPOSITE FROM LEFT Leading up to the first-floor bedrooms, open-tread stairs made from timber sourced in the
surrounding woodland run along stainless-steel cable railing. Wooden stable-door windows in the children’s room are a
nod to the region’s equestrian associates. THIS PAGE Modern and traditional elements mix in the main bathroom, where
tiles from Villeroy & Boch’s Pro Architectura range meet full-height windows that look on to the woodland beyond
O
n a spectacularly green plot of ancient woodland bordering
Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, a handful of handsome,
black-feathered chickens strut about, circling the perimeter
of a slanted-roof coop, from which they have a rather fantastic view. In front of their humble countryside abode sits an unexpectedly
contemporary house, a boxy three-level home, with a façade of greying
timber and rust-coloured Corten steel, which somehow feels entirely
sensible, organic even, amid vast views of working farmlands and 22 acres
of beech, oak and sweet-chestnut trees lurking in the background.
Designed by London-based Smerin Architects, the house was built
on the back of a simple brief: the clients, a London-based couple with
four children, wanted a space that was elegant, decisively modern,
energy efficient and, most of all, practical. Initially, it would be used as
a weekend and holiday home but, with time, the family planned to live
there year round.
‘Everything needed to have a purpose here, to be justified. Nothing
was just for effect,’ explains Piers Smerin. ‘Rural buildings tend to have
that straightforward, functional element to them, and we’re in farm
country here, so I thought that mentality was very relevant.’
Accordingly, the 345-square-metre house has an uncomplicated
scheme, with utilities and an indoor swimming pool at ground level, living
space at the raised-driveway level and bedrooms on the first floor.
Entering the house via a small bridge, also cast in Corten steel, the
open-plan living, dining and kitchen area opens out on to an overhanging veranda, which is supported by thin stainless-steel cables hung from
the sedum-planted roof, elegantly expanding the space without adding
to the overall footprint of the house. At each end of the concrete-heavy
ground floor, angular nooks with oversize windows create a sense of
000 H O U S E A N D G A R D E N . C O . U K A P R I L 2 0 1 5
privacy and separation, allowing the family to be together while
engaged in different activities.
In the hallway, oak stairs made with timber from the surrounding
woodlands and cantilevered from the supporting concrete walls lead
upstairs, while stainless-steel cables create a railing that mimics the
technique used to support the floating outdoor terrace. On the first
floor, compact bedrooms and two separate bathrooms are placed
neatly back-to-back, and in several of the children’s rooms, wooden
stable-door windows open on to views of rolling farmland, in a nod to
the region’s equestrian traditions.
‘The thing about this location is that it’s not precious,’ says Piers,
referring to the area’s enduringly rustic appeal. ‘So I wasn’t afraid to do
something a bit bolder with the house: I didn’t really want to go back to
that chocolate-box idea of what you should do in the countryside.’
Undoubtedly the house stands as a lone example of a more modernist
tradition in the neighbourhood – if one can call the sparsely populated
area that – but when viewed from a distance, its glass-and-timber front
almost seems a deceptively subtle, contemporary nod to the barns that
line the surrounding hills. Perfectly proportioned, the house only
reveals its true size when seen straight on; from the driveway it appears
much more modest, slowly widening into a sculptural, but entirely
functional, addition to the landscape. The greatest sign of the house’s
success? This past spring, much earlier than they had anticipated, the
family moved in full-time, lured by the house, of course, and the serenity
of the countryside, the clucking of the family’s chickens, the only
sound to be heard for miles !
Smerin Architects: www.smerin.co.uk
H O U S E A N D G A R D E N . C O . U K A P R I L 2 0 1 5 000