Extension in Taunton

Jonathan Rhind Architects undertook consultation and negotiation with the planning conservation office to achieve an acceptable scheme in this very sensitive context. The farmhouse, which is located in the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is Grade II listed, has origins from the 16th Century with enlargements and alterations in the 17th, 19th and 20th Centuries, which all contribute to the charm of the property. The single storey extension is subservient to the main house and sensitive to the significance of the historic property. The design is a ‘plane wing’ structure floating in a space between a retaining wall and some ramshackle outbuildings. The resulting space is a light and airy living space with views of trees and gardens on all sides. The historic storage sheds now house utility and bathroom spaces and the previous office has become a bedroom. The timber plane wing structure floats serenely over the negative space between the listed cottage and the enclosing garden walls. The project takes an almost none-existent opportunity of increasing the mass to the side of a listed building and through the significant constraints results in a spectacularly modern and contrasting form, which is continually a delight for its new habitants.