Woodland Retreat

Set between a quiet rural road and a small stream, Woodland Retreat occupies a somewhat steep and unusually shaped site at the edge of the woods. Rather than resisting the terrain, the house follows it, creating a compact retreat that opens towards the landscape. The surrounding woodland and stream sit within a protected green zone, ensuring that the views and sense of seclusion will remain largely untouched. Simple in form and construction, the house uses a restrained palette of natural local timber cladding and a standing-seam metal roof. The roof takes its cue from the agricultural buildings found throughout the surrounding landscape, while its concealed gutters and precise detailing give the familiar form a contemporary expression.

The interior is organised around a direct relationship with the surrounding nature, with large openings framing the woodland and bringing the landscape deep into the house. A generous timber deck extends the living space outdoors, incorporating a private hot tub and creating a place to slow down and reconnect with the setting. A small standalone sauna sits beside the house, tucked into the landscape and reinforcing the retreat-like character of the property. Designed as an escape from the pace of everyday life, Woodland Retreat is deliberately modest in scale and material expression, a simple house immersed in nature, where architecture becomes a quiet frame for the landscape.