A few years back, AO were commissioned by a private client self-building their family home, to design a new, contemporary house within their rural South Oxfordshire village, in the Vale of White Horse. This modern dwelling – based on a simple, traditionally proportioned agricultural Dutch barn – presents understated, plain barn-style elevations representative of the local vernacular, reimagined through the use of modern materials.
A vertical timber louvered skin encases a glass rectilinear form, set within an exposed steel frame – designed in collaboration with OMK Design Consultancy Ltd – all held beneath a striking curved zinc roof. Large expanses of Internorm UK glazing from Cherwell UK provide extensive views out over the private gardens and fields beyond, while the timber louvers offer solar shading and privacy screening from a public footpath and road running along the side of the house.
