A dwelling with a deep rooted sense of place.
Through an explorative and iterative analysis and development process, Lathams has provided a solution that is intrinsically linked to the site context. This has only been possible by conducting a thorough analysis of the site and context and using the information to drive the project narrative forward.
Located within the Stanton Conservation Area, the site has special qualities linking it to the surrounding context including an existing ridge and furrow field pattern which has been incorporated into the design. Stanton meaning ‘stone farmstead’ has been a clear driver for the project and has led the design team to consider the dwelling as an artefact that encapsulates important historical and cultural aspects of local life.
The use of sandstone in the landscape, as well as built forms of the village, have inspired the design that celebrates the use of stone in various forms and scales to reference the process of quarry extraction through to the refinement seen in stone masonry and the precise ashlar and ‘fletching patterns’ on the individual stones themselves. This is meant to showcase the significance of the historic evolution through the material that inspired the Village’s name and its relationship with natural elements within the immediate landscape.
The circa 9000 ft2 dwelling is designed to meet Passivhaus standards of air-tightness and thermal performance using a combination of solar panels and ground source heat pumps to provide adequate energy to achieve a zero-carbon solution which is an exemplar of rural housing.
"We are delighted to have obtained permission to create such a unique building on a site that is so special to us. We must pay tribute to our architect Simon Chiou of Lathams and the whole team there who have been so passionate about the project from day one. Their hard work in designing such a special building and the input of our planning consultant Ken Wainman ensured we were able to obtain permission on this isolated site under the Paragraph 80 exception. As we said at the planning committee meeting we want to create a building of which the Village and the Borough will be proud, and we are very grateful to be given this opportunity."