Reacting to the site’s original 1730s stone cottage, the design intentionally plays with two distinct architectural languages, where glass separates the heritage structure from the modern addition, allowing the original stone to breathe.

The project is defined by structural purity and a reduced palette of materials—including Cotswold stone, raw concrete, and a massive cantilevered steel beam that provides an uninterrupted view of the lake. From the high-volume ceilings to the strategic focus on natural daylight, this home is a masterclass in the seamless integration of architecture and landscape.

No doubt, taking a deep breath, he developed a dialogue between the historical and the contemporary. “I now love the relationship between the old and new; the restrictions only made the project more interesting in my mind,” he notes.

The ingenious design solution was to tuck the new buildings into the landscape, reducing the perception of built form by using local stone in a series of dry-stone field walls. “These walls descend down the slope of the land behind the cottage articulating the new building into three sections – the entrance and link to the cottage at the same floor level, a lower section to the west housing the main living areas and a raised wing to the east set further back into the slope which provides the more private spaces of the bedroom accommodation,” says the architect.

This study in adaptive reuse and structural engineering utilized subterranean concrete foundations to support the 23-meter steel cantilever, ensuring spatial fluidity and column-free views. By matching the concrete tone to the vernacular stone, the design achieves a monolithic, quiet purity.

The roof is considered the fourth elevation, as the building only emerges from the ground on three sides. What unites the buildings and reduces visual distraction is the restricted material palette. “The landscape was what I fell in love with originally and I became obsessed with the view looking down to the lake or looking up the valley. I enjoy the smoothness of the concrete against the irregularity of the cottage stone. However, it was important to me to tonally match the two,” says Found.

This setting between woodland and water is remarkable, and Found has been able to make the most of daylight. “I think we were lucky with the orientation of the site as it is south facing, so we get an incredible amount of sun pouring into the glazed sections of the building,” he says.

With an interior that is minimal but warm – often due to the natural elements such as the characterful stone and the irregular stacks of wood for the fire – it provides a context of calm. “I instantly relax upon arrival at the property. The tranquillity and isolation definitely provide the perfect backdrop conducive to creative thinking,” he says. ‘It’s the perfect place to write, paint, and design, as well as being a place where we love to entertain as a family. It is the tonic required for our frenetic lives in London.”