“The brief was to build a large, spacious home that our clients could use and enjoy for socialising—both inside and out—but that also provided them with homely, cosy and comforting spaces for when they aren’t hosting family and friends,” says Bray. “We wanted to marry a contemporary aesthetic with traditional, more classical elements, creating a characterful home.”

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The home stands out from the architecture of the homes typically seen in Surrey, which borders Greater London, where the vast majority of new properties are built in a faux-period style, explains Toby Wincer, partner at OB Architecture.

“At first, the client actually preferred this approach—but we knew the site was deserving of something so much more inspiring,” he says.

“Rather than trying to impose a traditional Georgian mansion on the plot, we felt the design of the house needed to be led by the natural topography of the site.”

OB Architecture was faced with the challenge of building on the sloped, steep terrain that declines from the front of the property down to the rear—and is what Bray and Wincer consider the most challenging part of the project. 

While other architects may set out to create a dramatic elevation towards the back, Bray and Wincer instead created what they describe as a gentle transition. This also means that, when viewed from the front, the house “didn’t appear too dominant or overbearing”, says Wincer.

The flow of the house, meanwhile, was an important consideration—both internally and when moving from inside to outside, say the architects. This is in response to the client’s desire for the house to maintain a connection with the outdoors, and in celebration of the uninterrupted woodland views on the property. 

The balconies and terraces across different levels at the back have glazed doors that provide access to the garden. Large glass panels are installed at the rear of the property, while iroko timber panelling is used on the glazing, both externally and internally. The dark zinc roof, meanwhile, curves up and over the spaces and appears to “float” out to the back. “Transitioning and mimicking the materials inside and out allow a sense of connection between the two environments,” says Bray. 

At the front of the house, a stone colonnade ties different elements together—the double-height entrance, two wings and garage, while also adding a sense of formality to the architecture, which was part of the clients’ brief, says Wincer.

Inside, the architects wanted to create characterful spaces. “So often, contemporary homes can have a slightly ‘white box’ feel about them, and we absolutely wanted to avoid this,” says Bray.

The home is centred around a large, double-height kitchen and dining area, which opens up from the main entrance. Here, the views out to the treetops are seen through the double-storey glazed opening, which the architects say creates a constant connection with the woodland. Next to the kitchen, with a double-sided statement fireplace as a division, are a bar and sunken lounge. In this space, Venetian plaster walls provide a soft, textured finish, adding a dusty warmth that contrasts with the fire. 

These areas make up the main living spaces. They are designed to be interconnected so that their occupants can “freely move between them”, says Wincer. “But when you are in the more intimate spaces, you still feel cosetted and protected, and not exposed to the larger spaces.” The “cosier” spaces—such as the sunken lounge—have reduced ceiling heights, which give a “cocooning” feel.

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The double-height ceilings of the main spaces, meanwhile, create a dramatic atmosphere during parties—but the flames from the fireplace also “draw your eye down to ground level in the evening”, which gives an intimate character to the space and creates the feeling of a retreat.

The top floor houses four of the bedrooms, positioned under the roof canopy. The rooms are “very private and nurturing spaces” thanks to the beautiful views of the treetops and their seclusion from the rest of the home. These are among the architects’ favourite spaces in the home. “The volume of space [in the double-height ceilinged rooms] forms the heart of the house, connecting multiple spaces, while the intimacy of the connected spaces, the sunken lounge, the bar, and the kitchen is still maintained,” says Bray.

The master bedroom and terrace, meanwhile, “feel like you are living amongst the treetops”, says Wincer. 

Plenty of thought went into the materials used in the interiors: they need to work well with the grand, social spaces. Tactile, warm and textural wall treatments, such as Venetian plaster in the kitchen; and rich iroko timber, which is used in the exteriors, were chosen—these give a sense of warmth, making the large spaces feel “at once grand and cosy”, says Bray.

The reactions to the home, in “quite an architecturally conservative area”, has proved especially memorable for the team. “We are first and foremost delighted that the clients love their new home,” says Bray. “But it has been wonderful to hear the [positive] reactions from neighbours and locals to what is quite an unusual design.” 

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