year: 2018
Location: Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells
Enclosed within a confines of a large Victorian herb garden, formerly belonging to Bentham Hill Manor House, this new dwelling replaces the old, dilapidated gardener's cottage. The new property does not sit over the location of the old cottage but recognises the importance of the once flourishing Victorian greenhouses. Uncompromisingly intersected by the Victorian garden wall, the new dwelling is tightly fitted against the North boundary. Split into two, the new dwelling is divided by the historic brick work. To the outside, the building assumes the former shape of the greenhouse boiler room and log store, yet to the garden side, the building becomes a low-slung, pavilion styled structure, clad in frameless glass and panels of corten steel. Extreme care has been taken when detailing this project to retain the historical importance of the garden wall and how this wall balances against the new, contemporary property. The new building has minimal intervention with the old brick wall - only a frameless glass system and a lightweight roof intersect.
The interior draws upon an agricultural style, where raw materials such as concrete floors, oak paneling and large expanses of brickwork establish the back drop for living. The remainder of the walls are painted in a soft white colour, helping daylight to diffuse around the building.
Filming location for Channel 4’s ‘This Way Up’, Series 2