Hidden within a clearing in a Grade II listed arboretum in Hampshire, this highly efficient new-build family home was designed to fully embrace its wooded location. Surrounded by woods, the site provided both the potential for a unique perspective and also a challenge, due to the trees limiting the amount of natural daylight. To overcome this, we placed the guest bedrooms and ancillary spaces on the ground floor and elevated the primary living areas to the lighter first and second floors. The entrance to the house is via a courtyard to the north of the property. Stepping inside, into an airy entrance hall, an open oak staircase rises up through the house. Immediately beyond the full height glazing across the hallway, a newly planted acer stands where the two wings of the house part, drawing the gaze through to the gardens beyond. Throughout the home, a calming muted colour palette, crafted oak joinery and the gentle play of dappled light through the trees, creates a tranquil and inviting atmosphere. Upstairs, the landing connects to a formal living room on one side and a spacious kitchen, dining and living area on the other. Expansive glazing opens on to wide outdoor terraces that span the width of the building, flooding the space with daylight and offering a multi-sensory experience of the woodland canopy. Porcelain tiles both inside and outside create a seamless continuity between the two. At the top of the house, a timber pavilion subtly encloses the principal suite and study spaces. The mood here is quieter, with rooflights bathing the space in light and large picture windows provide breathtaking views over the treetops. The living area on the first floor and the master suite on the upper floor function as a single entity, to ensure the house feels inviting, even when the guest bedrooms are unoccupied. Outside, and opposite the main entrance, the house is complemented by a single storey garage and yoga studio, creating a formal entrance courtyard to the property. Timber decking and raised beds sit to the north of the studio and garage. The buildings are predominantly constructed from timber, with offsite fabrication and precise on-site assembly. Highly insulated, the choice of materials prioritises the reduction of VOCs, with wood shaving insulation and an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) to minimise both operational and embodied carbon emissions.

Aluminium Bi-Folding Doors in an Exeter new build
This is an example of a brown contemporary two floor detached house in Devon with a pitched roof and mixed cladding.

rear facade
Inspiration for a multi-coloured contemporary two floor detached house in Surrey with mixed cladding and a lean-to roof.

A beautiful shot of this sympathetic conversion of a Dutch Barn to a modern home in the Nottinghamshire countryside
Inspiration for a gey contemporary two floor detached house in Other with mixed cladding, a metal roof and a grey roof.

This is an example of a red contemporary two floor detached house in Kent with mixed cladding, a pitched roof, a shingle roof and a red roof.

This is an example of a large contemporary rear detached house in Other with three floors, mixed cladding, a flat roof and a green roof.

This is an example of a beige contemporary two floor detached house in Cornwall with mixed cladding and a flat roof.

This is an example of a contemporary two floor detached house with mixed cladding.

The front of this home, designed by Studio212 Ltd, draws on New England and Cape Cod references with a crisp and timeless palette. Red brick at ground level provides solidity and warmth, while horizontal white weatherboarding above lightens the composition and reflects natural light. Generous dark-framed windows create rhythm across the façade, while a simple front door and integrated garage maintain a clean, understated look. The gravel driveway reinforces the sense of arrival and gives the house a natural, rural edge, softened by hydrangea planting and clipped shrubs along the base of the building. The overall design balances tradition with contemporary detailing, ensuring the home feels both established in its setting and fresh in character.

Das SUNSHINE 157 macht mit seinen zwei Vollgeschossen, dem charakteristischen Satteldach und den bodentiefen Fensterflächen Familienträume wahr und überzeugt schon von außen auf den ersten Blick. Das moderne Einfamilienhaus fügt sich in jedes Umfeld harmonisch ein. Es begeistert mit großzügigem Raumangebot und zahlreichen clever geplanten Details. Der sowohl räumlich wie auch akustisch geschickt vom Familienleben abgetrennte Anbau ist großzügig verglast. Hier bietet sich ein hervorragender Platz für das künftige Homeoffice. Alternativ ist an dieser Stelle bspw. auch eine große Garage mit direkter Verbindung ins Haus möglich. Im Inneren glänzt das SUNSHINE 157 Fellbach mit seiner clever geplanten Raumaufteilung, die den offenen Wohn-Ess-Bereich direkt mit der Küche kombiniert. Die geräumige Diele mit Garderobenbereich schließt offen an die Gemeinschaftsräume an. Eine geradläufige Treppe führt von hier ins Obergeschoss mit zwei schönen Kinderzimmern, dem komfortablen Elternschlafraum und einem luxuriösen Wellness-Familienbad mit integrierter Sauna. Großflächige Verglasungen auf beiden Ebenen erfüllen den Traum vom transparenten Wohnen mit Leben. Das SUNSHINE 157 Fellbach ist ein absolutes Highlight-Haus, das du in der Ausstellung Eigenheim und Garten Fellbach bei Stuttgart live erleben kannst! © Living Haus 2023

Foto: Michael Voit, Nußdorf
This is an example of a large and white contemporary two floor detached house in Munich with mixed cladding, a pitched roof and a tiled roof.

Inspiration for a small and white modern bungalow detached house in Munich with mixed cladding.

Inspiration for a large rural two floor detached house in Munich with mixed cladding and a pitched roof.

Mit der Hauslinie CONCEPT-M haben wir die Bien-Zenker Vielfalt „begehbar“ gemacht. Denn das M steht für moderne und wunderschöne Bien-Zenker Musterhäuser, die allesamt mit eindrucksvollen Architektur-Bauteilen individualisiert und unter Nutzung unserer vielfältigen Fassaden- und Farbkonzepte für Sie gebaut wurden. Zudem ist in diesen Häusern modernste Heizungs- und Haustechnik im Einsatz, von deren Effizienz und Komfort Sie sich live vor Ort überzeugen können. Foto: CONCEPT-M 154 Hannover © Bien-Zenker GmbH 2019

Large rustic house exterior in Paris with three floors, a pitched roof and mixed cladding.

This is an example of a large and multi-coloured rustic detached house in Other with three floors, mixed cladding and a pitched roof.

Inspiration for a white contemporary house exterior in Rennes with mixed cladding and a pitched roof.

This is an example of a medium sized bohemian bungalow house exterior in Bordeaux with a pitched roof and mixed cladding.

This is an example of a medium sized and black contemporary two floor detached house in Melbourne with a pitched roof, a metal roof, a black roof and mixed cladding.