Situated within a National Landscape (formerly AONB) and within the Metropolitan Greenbelt, Hazelhurst House is a Grade II* listed country home with expansive views over the surrounding landscape. Our work involved two sympathetic architectural interventions: a purpose-built underground pool and spa, and the replacement of several outbuildings with a new garage and workshop, designed to enhance the setting of the historic main house.
A key challenge was not only to introduce significant new living spaces, but also to reverse the impact of previous landscaping that conflicted with the home’s architectural character. Our solution was a landscape-led approach, immersing the new pool building within the hillside to create an intervention that improves views from every angle of the house. This allows the historic property to remain the focus, while the new structure is almost entirely concealed.
The building’s curved horizontal form blends into the topography, with a sloping green roof that makes it almost invisible from the estate. The only evidence of the subterranean structure is a glazed, wraparound corner designed to frame the countryside views, which can be completely covered by a timber-fronted sliding panel. The material palette is responsive to the setting, incorporating local stone for the retaining walls and oak screen cladding sourced directly from trees felled on the site. This use of high-quality local materials and refined detailing delivers an example of exemplary contemporary architecture within a protected National Landscape. The coursed stone retaining walls are screened with thoughtful organic planting and native hedgerows to enhance the species richness and visually diverse landscape.
The project also involved refining the property’s entrance. Several dilapidated outbuildings were removed to make way for a new garage and workshop, carefully positioned at the end of the sweeping drive. The new structures are screened by landscaping walls to hide additional parking, creating a welcoming and visually uncluttered arrival.
Sustainability was central to the design. The building’s orientation and subterranean form provide excellent energy performance, supported by high levels of insulation and airtight construction that seeks to achieve Passivhaus principles. A solar photovoltaic array and air source heat pumps provide a low-carbon energy solution. This approach extends to the wider landscape, where the architectural strategy facilitates a biodiversity net gain of over 10% through the green roof, native planting, and the creation of a new wildflower meadow.
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.
Listed & Heritage
Architecture
Landscape Design
Home Counties
In-Design