A New Baroque Country House in Oxfordshire
The Revival of the Formal Country House
The practice designed and successfully secured planning permission for a large replacement dwelling located within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The architectural language and form used in the design draws on a recognisable tradition of classic country house design and appropriate natural parkland settings. The house layout and orientation is configured to allow direct sunlight to penetrate into the rooms at the time they are most likely to be used.
The site is spectacular, a secluded hillside with breath-taking views. Our client wanted to create something that would add to this scene, an impressive and beautiful ‘stately home’ that would occupy the hillside and lie, rather romantically, against a background of dense woodland, overlooking the valley below. Given the site’s proximity to London, such ambition, although unusual, was not economically nonsensical.
Rather than mimicking the domestic vernacular, the architectural language and form of Handsmooth draw on a recognisable tradition of English Baroque country houses. The Hawksmoor masterpiece, Easton Neston, and ‘Britain’s favourite stately home’ – Chatsworth House— were highlighted by the client and played a crucial part in the development of our design.
Although employing a more muted and restrained form of classicism than these Baroque precedents (Handsmooth has minimal ornamentation and uses one of the simplest and least ornamented or the orders, the Doric order), the long ‘loggia’ and imposing stone volume of the central mass, complete with parapet and balustrade, hint at these grander inspirations.
To the front of the house, a large, North-facing forecourt presents an imposing and undoubtedly grand view of the property. The rear elevation is orientated south to take advantage of both sunlight and views, and the internal layout has been carefully configured to allow sunlight to penetrate the rooms at the time they are most likely to be used.
The site is spectacular, a secluded hillside with breath-taking views. Our client wanted to create something that would add to this scene, an impressive and beautiful ‘stately home’ that would occupy the hillside and lie, rather romantically, against a background of dense woodland, overlooking the valley below. Given the site’s proximity to London, such ambition, although unusual, was not economically nonsensical.
Rather than mimicking the domestic vernacular, the architectural language and form of Handsmooth draw on a recognisable tradition of English Baroque country houses. The Hawksmoor masterpiece, Easton Neston, and ‘Britain’s favourite stately home’ – Chatsworth House— were highlighted by the client and played a crucial part in the development of our design.
Although employing a more muted and restrained form of classicism than these Baroque precedents (Handsmooth has minimal ornamentation and uses one of the simplest and least ornamented or the orders, the Doric order), the long ‘loggia’ and imposing stone volume of the central mass, complete with parapet and balustrade, hint at these grander inspirations.
To the front of the house, a large, North-facing forecourt presents an imposing and undoubtedly grand view of the property. The rear elevation is orientated south to take advantage of both sunlight and views, and the internal layout has been carefully configured to allow sunlight to penetrate the rooms at the time they are most likely to be used.
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