The Old Telephone Exchange

This project involved the demolition of an existing redundant telephone exchange, the change of use of the site to residential, and the construction of a new two-storey two bedroom dwelling. The site lies on the edge of the village of Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, within a Conservation Area and an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The small existing exchange building was in a poor state of repair and did not lend itself to conversion, so it was decided to demolish this building to enable the client’s accommodation brief to be realized.

The new house has a gross internal area of 108 square meters over two floors, with the ground floor accommodating the principle living spaces, while the first floor provides two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an open plan study area on the landing which has great views across the nearby allotments and fields.

The design strategy responded to the rural context, but took it’s architectural inspiration from the local barns and allotment sheds rather than a pastiche of the village houses. The new house is a rectangular shape with a steep pitched roof and gable ends, a simple purposeful aesthetic set against the wooded backdrop. Finished with black stained larch horizontal cladding, which we feel works wonderfully with the green wooded landscape. The reaction from the local community has been wholly positive!