Moat House

The context of the existing house is sensitive, as the primary elevation faces the Grade 1 Listed historic monument, St Briavels Castle. The proposal required visual and strategic sensitivity, resulting in a ‘house of two sides’: the protected primary elevation facing the historic context and the hidden, private rear modern extension with a sunken courtyard garden. The project included removing a poorly constructed conservatory and carrying out earthworks to level an uninhabitable high-level garden. Internally, a triple-height space was created within the listed structure, borrowing light from the retained first-floor windows while preserving the historic facade. The scheme houses a new side entrance and boot room, an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living space, with level access to the external courtyard and terrace. A sleek, low-level shrouded volume allows the old and new to sit harmoniously with respect for one another. The external material palette takes cues from the natural slate roofing in the historic context, resulting in an anthracite standing seam metal roof and cladding for both the extension volume and box dormer at roof level. This visual and material link creates a new architectural language that enhances the immediate surroundings. Internally, bespoke timber joinery, polished concrete, bold colours, and metal-painted kitchen cabinetry all respect the age of the existing property.