Project: Sandway House
Architects: Outset Think
Location: Farnham, England
Area: 3.067 sf
Year: 2023
Photographs by: Courtesy of Outset Think
This contemporary dwelling in Surrey, England, is inspired by formal Walled gardens and minimalist Japanese courtyard houses. It focuses on honest materiality, craftsmanship, and the relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces. The front emphasizes privacy and security, while the back opens to a covered terrace for alfresco living. The house seamlessly transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces. The central living areas serve as the heart of the home, with separate bedroom wings for the main suite and guest rooms.
The house features a limited finishes palette, including corten steel, stone cladding, and concrete, creating a warm and minimalist atmosphere. The design aims to blend the house with the surrounding landscape by incorporating garden-like stone walls and openings to connect the front and rear gardens. An extended roof provides space for indoor-outdoor living, and trees pass through the roof to integrate the development into the landscape.
This contemporary dwelling in a beautiful English village in Surrey’s Green Belt and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty draws inspiration from a formal Walled garden and minimalist Japanese courtyard house. The design focuses on honest materiality, craftsmanship, and the relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces, using carefully selected and handcrafted finishes.
The front of the house features defensive architecture for privacy and security, while the back opens up to a large covered terrace for year-round alfresco living. The client wanted a secure, timeless, and integrated design that blended with the surrounding landscape. Sandway blurs the line between house and garden, with trees passing through the roof and a garden hiding behind the front canopy. The finishes transition seamlessly between indoor and outdoor spaces, and a small courtyard provides a unique openness to the master en-suite.
The central living spaces serve as the heart of the house, while the bedroom wings provide dedicated spaces for both the main bedroom suite and guest bedrooms, ensuring privacy and separation. The living areas and main bedroom also boast sizeable sliding glass doors that offer easy access to the rear garden. Visitors experience a sense of shelter and intimacy in the compressed front entrance with low ceilings and dim lighting.
This warm and welcoming atmosphere contrasts with the bright and spacious gallery entrance hall, featuring a large skylight that showcases art and creates a grandeur feeling. As we move deeper into the building, we reach the main living area, flooded with natural light, providing expansive views of the surrounding landscaped garden. This bright and airy space gives a sense of freedom and relaxation. In contrast, other areas of the house have lower ceilings and less natural light, providing a sense of intimacy and privacy.
A limited finishes palette focusing on corten steel, stone cladding, and concrete enhances the subtle design features. Rusty tones in the stone cladding complement the corten steel and are used inside and outside as an accent finish. Warm walnut and bespoke ply joinery designed for each room provide ample storage while maintaining a minimalist feel throughout the house.
Concept. The proposed design aims to seamlessly incorporate the new bungalow into the surrounding landscape by blurring the boundary between the house and garden. Garden-like stone walls will be used to separate different spaces while still allowing for wildlife movement. A front screening garden will provide some privacy, while the rear garden will serve as a more open and accessible space.
Openings in the garden wall will connect the hose’s front and rear garden, and an extended roof will create indoor-outdoor living spaces. The roof will also feature a green roof and will be extended for alfresco living. In addition, proposed trees will pass through the roof to screen the double-height volume and better integrate the development into the landscape.
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