UK architecture studio Richard Parr Associates has completed a single-storey family residence on a wild countryside site in Oxfordshire.
Drawing on the local farmhouse typology, the home by Richard Parr Associates features a sloped-roof brick structure clad with charred timber and topped with corrugated metal roofing.
To better frame the views of the surrounding landscape, the studio demolished an existing structure and re-sited the home – opening each room up to panoramic views.
The 350-metre-square home is split into four distinct quarters spread across two wings, each fronted with monolithic brick walls.
A courtyard connecting the two wings centres the home and hosts a games room wrapped with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Inside, sliding doors connecting the quarters offer the flexibility to enhance privacy or connectedness within the home, while full-height openings around the perimeter lead out to a series of paths that wrap around the residence.
Throughout the interior, polished concrete floors are complemented by lime plaster walls, stained ash joinery and wool ceilings, along with doorways lined with corten steel.
The large family wing contains an open-plan kitchen centred by a black-stained ash kitchen unit, along with a dining area and living space.
Sliding doors in the living area lead out to an adjacent, sheltered outdoor seating area, complete with a wood-burning stove and a bench that runs along the length of the brick wall.
At the home's opposite end, a 'snug' sits off the central games rooms and similarly opens up to a sheltered courtyard fitted with a wood-burning fireplace.
In the second wing, a light-filled main bedroom is wrapped by sliding doors leading out to a private patio.
An ensuite bathroom in the main bedroom features an oval bathtub fronted by a window framing views of the landscape.
Hedges and trees planted around the plot allowed the studio to channel views of the landscape, while increasing the privacy for the residents.
Other recently completed projects that use charred timber include a "hut-like" home clad with blackened wood in Japan.
The photography is courtesy of Brotherton Lock.
Project credits:
Architect: Richard Parr Associates
Client: Private client
Structural engineer: BTA Structural
Design contractor: Barr Build
M&E consultant: Pool Architecture
QS: PT Projects
Landscape contractor: Nicholsons