Premier Construction

Holm Place Hampshire

Holm Place
Written by Roma Publications

Holm Place

Completed in July 2017, Holm Place is a contemporary home located in the rural village of South Warnborough, Hampshire.

Designed by OB Architecture, and constructed by R. Durtell & Sons, Holm Place occupies a 0.12 hectare site within the upper garden of Manor Court, a 17th century Grade II listed building that also happens to be situated in the South Warnborough Conservation Area. Planning consent for the project therefore came with a number of constraints that ultimately informed the design of the home, from its size to the material palette used.

The four bedroom home features open plan living for entertaining family and friends. It has a direct relationship to the garden, maximising natural light and blurring the line between indoor and outdoor space. The design of the house also took its lead from Manor Court, aiming to build a relationship that complements the building and enhances the character of the area. Planning permission for the project was granted in August 2014 before work on site began in May 2016.

The L-shaped plan is pushed to the edges of the site to preserve the green setting to the listed building. The two-storey accommodation of the building is positioned adjacent to the massing of Manor Court and together with the roof edge profile of the first floor and second floor that aligns with the eaves and ridge of the listed building create a direct relationship.

The simple material palette of brick, timber, off white render, glass and zinc, all take a lead from Manor Court. The use of zinc also references the agricultural buildings that are prevalent in the local area.

Internally, the ground floor has been configured in an l-shape and focuses on the garden to create a unique and tranquil space. The ground floor accommodation has two distinct zones, the north wing containing an open plan glazed kitchen, dining, living space and the west wing containing the bedroom accommodation. Forming a connection between these two areas is the entrance hall, gallery and double height staircase.

The circulation is defined by a minimal column structure that forms a cloister facing the garden. The master bedroom suite at first floor is orientated south and designed with an intimate terrace that takes in the wide views of the countryside.

Holm Place

Image Credit – Martin Gardner (www.martingardner.com)

Project Architect James Chapman spoke to Premier Construction about the work:

“In a way the brief was to maximise the potential of the plot. On site was Manor Court, a Grade II listed building surrounded by a generous orchard. Our clients felt that there was a potential to build something there. The constraints were borne out of building next to this listed building, as well as out of the shape of the plot itself.

“It all went quite smoothly on site. The biggest challenge was probably achieving planning, because we unfortunately had a number of objections. In technical building terms, I’d say it was getting these pre-fabricated, large timber screens from the workshop to the site.

“This was an amazing project and fantastic for OB Architecture and for me. Doing one-off houses is a great privilege because you really are delivering a client’s vision and something that is potentially life-changing.

“The satisfaction comes from getting a very strong conceptual diagram and then seeing it all the way through to completion.”

Robey’s Ltd is a UK importer and distributor for the Rais brand of stoves. For Holm Place, Robey’s Ltd supplied the feature wood burning stove to Kingsworthy Foundry, who in turn installed the stove at the Hampshire home.

Over the last 70 years, Kingsworthy Foundry has become wildly known for their passion for all things wood burning. From fire pits to open fires, wood burning stoves to pizza ovens, Kingsworthy Foundry works closely with Robey’s Ltd is on the supply and installation of mid to high-end wood burning stoves.

Sharon Robey, director of Robey’s Ltd, said:

“We realised the Holm Place project was something very special and with the brief we had been given, the obvious choice was the RAIS VIVA L range. From our initial site visit to installation, everything ran smoothly – a nod to OB on this as we seldom work with such a fluid team. The finished installation works beautifully with the interior, a real focal point that melts seamlessly into the space.”

Sharon added:

“The team at Kingsworthy Foundry are always proud to have been chosen as the partner to a project, from a simple ‘line and fit’ to a fully bespoke flue system and associated installation etc.

“Every now and then we are lucky enough to be involved with a project that is obviously much more than a bricks and mortar job. Holm Place has all the hallmarks of a really special property so we are honoured to have had a small part to play.”

As well as overwhelming positive feedback from the client, Holm Place was also warmly received by industry professionals. Earlier this year the project was nominated for a RICS South East Award in the ‘Residential’ category.

To find out more, please visit www.obarchitecture.co.uk/holm-place.

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Roma Publications