Hazelhurst House is a Grade II* listed country home in Surrey, within both a National Landscape and Metropolitan Greenbelt. With stretching views over the rolling countryside, the home is also surrounded by acres of ancient woodland.
A subterranean spa complex is being introduced to the property, with a sloping green roof ensuring it remains hidden in the hillside below the main house.
The curved horizontal form of the new pool building appears to emerge from the landscape, surrounded by wildflower meadows. The sloping green roof ensures its minimal impact on the wider landscape. Incorporating a glazed wraparound corner to frame the views, this is the only evidence of the subterranean building, set below a stone-walled fascia, which can be completely covered by a timber-fronted sliding panel when required. The coursed stone retaining walls are screened with thoughtful organic planting and native hedgerows to enhance biodiversity.
The design of the landscape and gardens at Hazelhurst House optimises the stunning views over the rolling countryside hills with new outdoor family and entertaining spaces, while enhancing the natural environment and increasing the biodiversity of the site.
By reintroducing curves and removing the previous rather dated formal layout, the garden will have a greater connection to the natural slope of the hillside and wider landscape beyond. Below the full-width terrace with seating and outdoor entertaining, new planting, green terracing and sympathetic local material choices will help to embed a new pool building into the hillside, creating habitat corridors between different areas of the garden. Surpassing the new UK planning 2024 regulation, the biodiversity net gain for the site will be greater than 10%.
Working with ecologists and arboriculturists to ensure the impact of the new building on biodiversity is minimal, the subterranean pool and spa area, with its gardens below, will offer greater a diversity of habitats for wildlife through the selected planting chosen, the surrounding wildlife meadow and native tree planting.
With longevity in mind, the sloping gardens and the green roof of the new building immersed in the hillside are designed to benefit the biodiversity for generations. The garden is as sustainable as possible, with considerations towards rainwater harvesting, growing timber, reuse and recycling. Trees are incorporated throughout with a new meadow planted at the front of the property alongside the sweeping drive up to the house’s entrance, and new shrubs and borders line the pathways that lead to the iron-age pond nearby. Native, drought tolerant, and pollinator plants and trees will provide a diverse habitat for the long term.
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