Long views through a house can draw your view through the building creating a long vista and making a home feel bigger than it really is. This architectural move is called enfilade.

Enfilade has been a device in architecture since the Baroque period and has been employed in a wide range of buildings from the Palace of Versailles to the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery to this restored farmhouse in Wiltshire.

Some projects just lend themselves to different types of plan form, and we like to explore the possibilities an unusual project can allow.

This classical villa in an urban parkland is an excellent example of this. The main rooms radiate from a central octagonal stair hall and are linked with sweeping curved corridors. The enfillade of the central three spaces acts as a counterpoint to the ‘concealed’ drawing room to the rear which you enter through a journey of discovery.

Houses don’t exist on their own, they have a setting and this can be as important as the building when trying to get things ‘just so’.

For this project in the North Downs we were lucky enough to not just design the building but also the landscaping to ensure that both house and garden worked in harmony. Here you can see a parterre, the herringbone brick terrace and in the background the circular lawn.

Responding to the unique challenges of a site is something we really enjoy.

The site of this house is spectacular, a secluded hillside with breath-taking views. Our client wanted to create a homes that would add to this scene, would occupy the hillside and lie, rather romantically, against a background of dense woodland, overlooking the valley below.

It is always very rewarding to see one of our designs starting to settle into it’s landscape.

Here is a photo of our recently completed North Downs project in Surrey. The careful choice of materials and detailing makes the finished home look grounded already. We’re really looking forward to see how the landscaping scheme we designed, at the same time as designing the house, develops over the next few years.

Continuing our look at the INTBAU charter…

Another point raised within this document is that “traditional buildings and places maintain a balance with nature and society that has developed over many generations”. We feel really passionately that the nature within a place is something to be celebrated and cherished, such as at this Hampshire country house where we retained existing mature trees as part of the landscape design.

Every design we produce is tailored to the site it is to be built on. Whilst we often use recognisable forms, the unique layout and detail will be specifically designed to make the most of the opportunities the location gives.

This beautiful country home in the South Downs National Park is designed to take full advantage of its elevated position. The kitchen has been designed with large plate glass windows which allow full enjoyment of the rolling views to the South.

Even working on historic buildings, sometimes we get a chance to do something really striking, and we love to seize those opportunities!

This historic barn conversion in Wiltshire had views to the South over an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and we were able to secure consent for this feature dormer window. Not only did it allow views out, but it also allowed the previously uninhabited roofspace to be flooded with light, transforming the space from dingy loft to a light flooded and airy space.