52 DIGS.NET | 12.11.2020
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Refurbishing the existing cottage was
the first phase of the project. Floors were
replaced with underfloor-heated pavers,
systems (including the installation of
water-based underfloor heating) were
modernized, and the structure was
thermally upgraded. A new kitchen
and bathroom, meanwhile, were
conceptualized as furniture to avoid
having to change the shape of original
rooms. The new, RIBA Award-
winning extension was, according to
the practice, "conceived as a series of
dry stone field walls that descend down
the slope of the land behind the cottage,
articulating the new building into three
sections—the entrance and link to the
cottage at the same floor level, a lower
section to the west housing the main
living areas, and a raised wing to the
east set further back into the slope that
provides the more private spaces of the
bedroom accommodation." The fourth
elevation is the roof, as the building
only emerges from the ground on three
sides. Situated on the path of the sun,
each habitable space frames views of the
landscape. Bedrooms embrace morning
sunlight and the living space indulges the
setting sun. These choices—maximizing
daylight where possible and framing
views of nature—are broader expressions
of the practice's ethos. The glass link
serves as a kind of aperture to the natural
surround, amplifying both light and
landscape that, in turn, immerses the
house in beauty and calm. It also draws
attention to the sober and orderly interior,
which, void of modern distractions and
conceits, highlights a few key pieces
and a judicious use of space.
That this private Cotswolds
residence is seamless, and the
work involved in its creation all but
imperceptible, makes it remarkable.
It also makes it the work of Richard
Found who in hindsight appreciates the
dynamics that forced him to keep the now
Grade II listed cottage and create a much
more interesting project. Where one does
not see the effort, however, one senses
the thinking behind it quite acutely.
Such is the beauty of the architect's built
environment. foundassociates.com
The glass link serves as a kind of
aperture to the natural surround,
amplifying both light and landscape.
