A+P designed a dwelling of exceptional design quality in accordance with Paragraph 84e of the National Planning Framework on the site of a former sewage treatment works in Berkshire. The proposal demonstrated how architecture could play a holistic and sustainable role within the water cycle. The main volumes of the house were set at different heights, stepping down the landscape with a roofscape used to harvest, transport, store, and filter rainwater as it moved from the sky to the ground.
“Precipitation, transportation, infiltration, evaporation, condensation.”
A diagonal timber structure wrapped around the house, inspired by the interplay of light through leaves in the forest, and reinterpreted the local vernacular architecture in a contemporary way. Vegetation was designed to grow up and around the structure, grounding the building within the seasonal changes and rhythms of nature. The project demonstrated how architecture and landscape could come together to create a new home that not only enhanced its immediate setting but also embodied innovation, sustainability, and sensitivity to place.
EXISTING SITE
INITIAL CONCEPT SKETCH
The site formed part of a redundant water treatment facility, set within a secluded chalk quarry surrounded by mature woodland. Hidden from view and enclosed by topography, it offered an unusually private and atmospheric setting for a contemporary dwelling. The wider landscape was defined by ancient woodland, open farmland, and historic estates. It was a richly textured environment of deep rural character. Within this context, the proposal sought to restore ecological balance, remove outdated industrial structures, and replace them with a home that would reflect the site’s natural rhythms and geological legacy.
The concept was shaped by the flow of water through the landscape, referencing the site’s former operational history. Inspired by natural hydrological processes such as evaporation, condensation, filtration, and collection, the design proposed a house that would become part of the water cycle itself, capturing, filtering, and re-using rainwater to sustain both the dwelling and its surroundings.
This idea of architecture in dialogue with nature was expressed through a series of interlinked rectilinear volumes arranged around a sheltered internal courtyard. The massing traced the footprint of the former structures and transformed their utilitarian geometry into a refined composition of contemporary forms that appeared to emerge from the land.
CONCEPT SITING PRINCIPLES
CONTEXTUAL DESIGN INFLUENCES
The main house was positioned within the former quarry basin, framed by trees and natural contours, while a smaller gatehouse pavilion occupied the open meadow to the north. The two buildings were connected by a processional approach that echoed the traditional relationship between country houses and their outbuildings.
The dwelling’s form and materiality were carefully developed to respond to light, shadow, and the surrounding woodland canopy. The timber façade system expressed a pattern of branching verticals and diagonals, a contemporary interpretation of traditional rural craftsmanship. Over time, climbing plants would grow over the structure, allowing the building to merge with the woodland and change with the seasons with the timber structure also silvering over time.
Internally, open living spaces were oriented to maximise sunlight and frame key views of the surrounding landscape. Elevated volumes captured morning and evening light, while water features and reflective pools reinforced the connection between inside and outside.
The proposal placed sustainability at the heart of the design process. Key strategies included:
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Rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling for on-site reuse.
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Integration of filtration ponds and constructed wetlands to cleanse runoff naturally.
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Use of locally sourced timber and low-carbon construction methods.
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Passive solar design, bioshading, and natural ventilation.
Together, these measures created a self-sustaining, low-impact dwelling that celebrated water as both a life source and a design narrative.
CONCEPT PERSPECTIVE: NORTH ELEVATION
CONCEPT INTERNAL PERSPECTIVE: LIVING IN THE TREES
CONCEPT DESIGN: GATEHOUSE - "A PAVILION IN THE MEADOW"
The proposal demonstrated how a former industrial site could be reborn as a restorative piece of architecture, celebrating craft, ecology, and the inherent beauty of the landscape. By re-tracing the geometries of the past and aligning them with environmental innovation, the project established a new concept model for rural living. At the beginning of a journey, we believe the proposal has the potential to be exceptional in design quality and significantly enhance its immediate and wider setting.
Type
Paragraph 84
A+P Sector
Bepoke Residential
Location
Status
In-Design