Country Life Magazine – July 12, 2023 issue: A look at the birds everyone should see once in their life, why poets make the best naturalists, plus tartan, trout and Alan Titchmarsh.
The perfect 10
From peregrine falcon to puffin and starling to skylark, Stephen Moss selects 10 birds that we simply must see in our lifetimes
Rebels and romantics with a cause
Tartan is one of Scotland’s most recognisable exports—follow the thread from Highland dress to punk fashion with Mary Miers
To the end of Wales
Fiona Reynolds explores the crashing breakers and jagged coastline of the Llŷn Peninsula
For succour and relief
Roger Bowdler visits the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3, a monument to the extraordinary talents of Sir Christopher Wren
First, catch your trout
There is no finer riverside feast than freshly caught brown trout. Tom Parker Bowles is hooked
We will not plunder music of his dower
Mark Cocker says John Clare’s lyrical works resonate today more than ever—230 years after the peasant poet’s birth
The Local Project (July 11, 2023) – A beautiful house grounded within an extraordinary landscape setting, Matagouri House provides an immediate visual impact without taking away from the natural beauty of the surrounding environment.
Video timeline:00:00 – Introduction 00:18 – The Location of Matagouri 00:38 – The Design Process 01:23 – Defining Themes 01:56 – Inspiration Behind the Rooftop Garden 02:32 – The Client and The Brief 03:14 – The Composition of the Home 03:55 – Reflecting The Landscape 04:47 – Aspirations For The Future
Removed from the urban centre of Queenstown, New Zealand, the home sits between two natural mounds in the surrounding tussock at the foot of The Remarkables mountain range and the edge of Lake Wakatipu. Sitting upon a plateau that lies within a broader curtilage of land, interior spaces are laid out around a sheltered courtyard under an engineered timber roof plane. The main living area of the beautiful house is considered a peninsula, a singular wide space that wraps around a protected courtyard.
This courtyard has a strong sense of gravity for the overall composition of the land as it accesses the public wings of the building, including the kitchen and dining area. Bedrooms are upstairs – the elevated position and the interior design of the rooms nurture the aspect beyond the roof. As such, the powerful landscape setting is integral to the form and overall design of the beautiful house. Fearon Hay Architects draws on this in an interesting way to develop an occupation at a scale that feels comfortable for the residents.
To do this they moderate the way the house captures the view, with areas removing the view entirely – the outlook is taken away and then re-presented for its impact to be fully understood. The beautiful house remains exquisitely immersed in the landscape. For example, the engineered timber roof plane carries a planted tussock green rooftop garden and is shaped to marry into the natural landforms.
The way the home and the landscape blend into one also enables a strong sense of historic occupation. The architecture of the building isn’t read as a new structure but is instead embedded in the landscape as if it has been developed over time.
TRACKS – Travel Documentaries (July 8, 2023) – A journey to the small village of Ponging in the state of Arunachal Pradech, a region in northeast India that is also spread over Bhutan, Burma, and Tibet. The Adi people, called the men of the hills, have learned to both survive and thrive off of bamboo, which is what their homes are made of in beautifully intricate patterns.
The Local Project (July 7, 2023) – An exclusive house tour and a thoughtful marrying of architecture and landscape, Flockhill Homestead is a beautiful yet practical farm residence that offers a novel experience of the New Zealand landscape.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Luxurious AirBnB 00:47 – The Project Architect 01:17 – A Family and an Environmental Centred Brief 02:13 – Democratising the Bedrooms 02:40 – Protection From the Harsh Environment 03:15 – The Heritage and History of The Flockhill Region 03:32 – The Materials Used Throughout 04:47 – Utilisation Throughout the Seasons 05:18 – The Calmness of Shadow 05:53 – A Collaborative Effort
This exclusive house tour goes inside a high country sheep station that doubles as an Airbnb where Warren and Mahoney take a symbiotic approach to create an elegant refuge, where interior design harmonises with the heavy masonry elements embedded in the landscape that can also withstand the harsh conditions. The exclusive house tour shows a dwelling that responds to its incredible locale – in the way of outlooks, heritage and practicality.
Located halfway between Christchurch and Arthur’s Pass, the homestead and Airbnb is perched on a plateau above the working farm, which offers an equal viewpoint of the mountains, limestone rock formations and Lake Pearson. A pool sits on the edge of the property at the top of a cliff, allowing one to feel as if they are floating above the dramatic landscape.
The exclusive house tour reveals The fluid approach taken by the team in the architecture and interior design of the homestead. Spaces are arranged in a single linear strip to access constant views towards the lake and mountains in the distance, fostering a continuous connection between internal and external spaces. The large home is designed for four individual owners so there are shared zones, including a communal kitchen and large fireplace, and private spaces pushed to the corners of the home.
Architectural Digest (July 6, 2023) – A tour of Denham Place, a 17th-century country estate situated just 30 minutes from central London. Built in 1688, this historic property is on the market for £75,000,000 and has just completed an extensive 8-year restoration.
An incredible 12 reception rooms, 12 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, and grounds inspired by Versailles, make this stately home palatial–and with past residents including the Bonaparte Imperial family, it is a house truly fit for royalty.
The house was constructed in 1688–1701 for Sir Roger Hill, and the architect was probably William Stanton.
Country Life Magazine – July 5, 2023 issue: The seashore as artistic inspiration, from Constable’s wild skies to Gormley’s lonely figures; Puffins -the parrots of the sea; A history of mermaids, and more…
A shore thing – Michael Prodger examines the seashore as artistic inspiration, from Constable’s wild skies to Gormley’s lonely figures
Meet the parrots of the sea – The colourful puffin inspires amused adoration in everyone, but the big-beaked birds have a tough side, finds Ian Morton
Tripping the light fintastic – Sinister sirens who lure sailors to their deaths or beautiful beings who drag men from watery graves? Carla Passino combs history for mention of mermaids
The Local Project (July 4, 2023) – Imbued with a genuine warmth, Clifftops House is a family home that has soul and spirit. Through thoughtful consideration of materiality and texture,
Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Unique Clifftop Home 00:58 – The Location 01:37 – The Site and its Aspect 02:00 – The Architecture Brief 02:39 – The Interiors Brief 03:15 – Working with the Materiality 03:41 – Crafting the Textures and the Touch 04:18 – Drawing Light Deep Into the house 05:01 – The Element of Surprise
Bossley Architects has built a visually striking and welcoming home defined by strong geometric architecture on the exterior and a soft, sinuous feel on the inside. Built on the picturesque clifftops overlooking Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, the home is comfortable yet capable of accommodating a growing family.
The site posed two main challenges – exposure to the elements of the nearby ocean and a long, narrow allotment. The house takes advantage of this shape with a series of walls and fins built angled towards the sea. Walls located at the east and west ends of the site also create a partially enclosed courtyard that both welcomes sun and provides shelter from the weather.
A modest palette features in-situ concrete as the main material, which is durable and allows the concrete to resemble fluid, free forms, resulting in a number of sculptural walls and curves in the interior of the home. This is offset against panels of marble cladding, glass-reinforced concrete fascias, walnut flooring, cedar ceilings and aluminium joinery. There are also a number of windows and openings built into the architecture of the home, which serve an important role in scoping and drawing light deep inside.
Additionally, a ‘slow stair’ has been incorporated to provide a sense of circulation into the linear structure. The staircase has a very long tread, so as one moves from the ground floor to the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs they experience vertical movement in a more rounded way. The home holds most of its spirit in the interior design. Sonya Cotter Design crafted an interior experience that layers furniture and finishes in a way that works to create personality and warmth. However, most of the selections, whilst varied, all are designed to patina, invoking a constant sense of movement across surfaces throughout the home.
The Local Project (June 39, 2023) – Responding to context and climate, the architect delivers Stonelea, an authentic, multi-generational country retreat embedded in the landscape.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Sustainable Modern Farm house 00:48 – The Brief 01:00 – Retaining the Existing Elements 01:20 – Consideration of the Carbon Footprint 01:43 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:55 – Providing Natural Light 03:44 – Drawing Inspiration from the Site and the Landscape 04:39 – A Result of Combined Efforts and Proud Moments
Nestled in the western foothills of the Blue Mountains, Stonelea by Matthew Woodward Architecture tenderly responds to context. Continuing a long-standing interest in connecting people with landscape, Stonelea gently frames the human experience within its striking rural surrounds.
An existing cluster of workers’ cottages, each with a wondrous view across the vast valley and connection to the Coxs River below, informed the planning and articulation of the home. The home’s linear and low-lying form draws on the Australian shed vernacular. A minimalist approach to form is articulated in the generous floor plan, whilst the earthy materials reflect an affinity with the landscape.
Stonelea’s barn-like form skilfully combines hardwood timber shiplap and metal roof sheeting set on a weighty podium of local stone, embedding the house atop the slope of the river and valley panorama. The architect dexterously planned around established trees, conveying a seamlessness with the landscape that belies the age of the architecture. A simple, elongated spatial arrangement gives hierarchy and order between public and private spaces.
Ensuite guest bedrooms and a kids’ room are lined along a timber-screened walkway, flanked by a large master bedroom to the north and expansive living spaces to the south, affording acoustic separation and privacy.
Wall Street Journal (June 27, 2023) – This luxury oceanfront property in southeast Alaska, with concrete floors and a pink kitchen, cost $2.07 million to build and furnish.
Video timeline: 0:00 Living on the water 0:54 Living room 1:32 Kitchen 2:25 Deck and nook 3:54 Primary bedroom 4:49 Outside space
The home includes a strawberry wall, a floating chair that costs over $3,000 and ocean views from every room. Homeowner Kristi Linsenmayer describes the joys and challenges of custom-building a home over the water in rural Ketchikan.
The Local Project (June 27, 2023) – A house openly engaging with its surrounding context, Parkside Residence is both outwardly and inwardly focused to reference the existing formal language it is immersed within. Ashley Halliday Architects proposes a light-filled family home that combines heightened detailing with a sense of the familiar.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Light Filled House 00:42 – The Project Brief 01:11 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:17 – Creating A Cosy Home 02:50 – The Cathedral Glass Wall 03:20 – A Focus on the Landscaping 03:56 – The Colour and Material Palette 04:41 – Experiencing the Freshness of the Home
Set within a heritage-rich area of inner south-east Adelaide, Parkside Residence is imagined as a house of considered proportions. In acknowledging its adjacent neighbours and the traditional forms in place, the proposal aims to also celebrate the silhouettes of the existing streetscape through the formation of two main gabled pavilion arrangements. Aligned perpendicularly to one another, the pair sit separated with a connective corridor space to bind them.
Whilst the home is a modern insertion within its traditional setting, by respectfully honouring the formal language of the established rooflines, the structure adds to the rhythm of the streetscape. Ashley Halliday Architects focuses on balancing both the privacy and experience of the house from within with a series of spaces that nestle comfortably. Ikon Projects crafts Parkside Residence to transition from a privately veiled home at the front to a more open collective of spaces to the rear.
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