Bury Gate Farm, West Sussex

Bury Gate has been a worthwhile, if challenging, labour of love. Planning approval for a large traditional house on the rural Sussex site had been obtained prior to the architects being commissioned. They instead set about convincing the officer tasked with protecting the character and appearance of the South Downs National Park of the advantages that a ‘modern’ design, of roughly the same volume, could offer. 

The detailing and execution are near faultless. But what is truly exceptional about Bury Gate is its calm, gentle and yet solid presence in the landscape of rolling fields, woodland and tree-lined ditches. Its fragmented plan articulation is very skilfully handled, so that despite its large footprint and, at points, considerable volume, it feels rooted in the place, and its presence has an unexpected modesty, seriousness and constancy. The landscaping and planting, where undertaken, are also of a high quality. 

Minimising carbon emissions was central to the client’s aims, and for a house of this size, its sustainability credentials are solid. The house is well-insulated and airtight, heated by two air-source heat pumps, fitted with mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) and supporting a massive 15.87kWp photovoltaic rooftop array which could feasibly provide 75% of the annual energy demand. Demolition waste from a long-derelict 1950s bungalow on the site was crushed and reused for the base, and sandstone and blockwork were sourced locally to minimise the carbon generated from transportation. The house is also highly accessible and inclusive, fitted with a lift and provided with annexe accommodation that could become home to a teenager or carer. 

Conscious of the high embodied carbon involved in traditional cement, the architects and client wanted to achieve the highest permissible level of cement replacement, notably in the floor slabs. Structural testing in relation to this left works at a hiatus for a time. Undeterred, the client, who has a construction background, chose to undertake the remaining works on a self-build basis, employing specialist subcontractors. The cement content of the build was reduced without loss of thermal mass, and the five-bedroom house was completed almost six years after planning approval was granted. 

This is one of those rare projects that has such an easy presence that it transcends questions of why or how it came to be. It now stands as a permanent testament to both the architects’ and clients’ aspirations and skills.