Treetops

Treetops is a new private residence built around an existing Georgian villa, set within a generous plot that opens to exceptional views across the south and western landscape. The house had accumulated a series of ad hoc extensions over the years, and our brief was to replace these with new additions that would better connect the home to its setting and sit comfortably alongside the elegance of the original building. The central challenge was one of balance — accommodating an ambitious and wide-ranging brief while ensuring the completed house felt at ease within the landscape rather than imposed upon it.

The organising concept emerged from that challenge directly. Rather than consolidating the brief into a single large addition, the new elements are broken down into a series of separate structures, each connected by covered walkways and arranged to form an open courtyard at the heart of the composition. This approach provides natural shelter from the strong prevailing winds while creating a series of considered exterior spaces.

Within the house, two principal circulation routes — running north–south and east–west — establish a clear and intuitive flow between spaces. A glazed link corridor connects the main extension to the original villa, functioning both as a physical and visual threshold, and serving as the home's new entrance hall. Ancillary accommodation is positioned within the depth of the plan, allowing the kitchen and principal double-height living space to face west and fully engage with the panoramic views beyond. The master bedroom is oriented to capture both morning and evening light, and opens onto a partly recessed terrace that looks out over the surrounding landscape.

A natural material palette has been carefully chosen to complement the character of the existing house. Blonde sandstone, zinc roofing and detailing, and slate feature panels sit together, while thermal pine soffits beneath the canopies bring softness and warmth to the covered walkways. Generous, slimline glazing throughout maintains a strong and uninterrupted connection with the landscape.

The building's environmental ambitions are equally considered — a fabric-first approach to insulation is combined with mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, alongside a ground source heat pump that serves both the house and swimming pool.

Treetops is an ambitious project in many parts — a full retrofit of a Georgian villa, a substantial new addition, a leisure suite and an extensive landscaping scheme — brought together into a rich spatial composition that honours its setting and delivers a truly remarkable family home.