Woodlands
A contemporary self-build home, carefully embedded within an ancient woodland setting overlooking the Bybrook Valley.
Wiltshire, 2025
Set within the wooded slopes of Doncombe Bottom, and enjoying beautiful views over the Bybrook Valley just outside Bath, Woodlands replaces a long-vacant dwelling with a contemporary family home that responds carefully to one of the Cotswolds' most sensitive landscapes. From the outset, the aspiration was not simply to replace a house, but to restore the relationship between architecture, woodland and landscape, creating a home that appears to emerge naturally from its setting.
The steeply sloping site presented a number of significant design challenges. The new house has been carefully set into the hillside, substantially reducing both its visual prominence and physical impact on the surrounding landscape. Breaking the accommodation into a series of stepped volumes allows the building to follow the natural contours of the land, preserving views across the valley whilst ensuring the scale of the house remains sympathetic to its secluded woodland setting.
Materiality has been fundamental to the architectural approach. A restrained palette of natural stone, charred timber and standing seam zinc detailing draws inspiration from the colours and textures of the surrounding woodland, allowing the building to weather gracefully and recede into the landscape throughout the changing seasons. Generous glazing establishes a constant dialogue between the interior and the woodland beyond, blurring the threshold between home and nature.
Ecology and landscape were central to the design process from the very beginning. Great care has been taken to minimise the impact on the existing ancient woodland, retaining mature trees wherever possible and working with the site's natural character rather than against it. Alongside new native planting and carefully considered habitat enhancements, the landscape proposals seek to strengthen biodiversity and create a richer ecological setting for the future, ensuring the development contributes positively to the wider valley.
The project was developed through close collaboration with Seed Landscapes, Planning Sphere, Wessex Tree Consultancy and Callidus Engineering, bringing together landscape, arboricultural, planning and engineering expertise to navigate the complexities of this exceptional site. Following over a year of collaborative design and consultation, planning permission was successfully secured, allowing a thoughtful and sustainable vision for the site to become a reality.
Location: Wiltshire
Design Team: Matthew Clay, Hamish Cumming, Elias Sopwith, Danielle Tompkins, Aaron Horwood
Seed Landscapes, Planning Sphere, Wessex Tree Consultancy and Callidus Engineering
Status: Planning approved (2026)
