LOW HOUSE

Low House is a contemporary family dwelling located in the rural village of Apperley, between Tewkesbury and Gloucester.

The project originated as a Class Q barn conversion. However, following investigations which determined that the existing agricultural structure could not be successfully converted, the proposal was redesigned as a new dwelling on the site.

The house is organised around a modernist ‘T’-shaped plan which responds to the site’s changing topography. The building spans a full storey level change, allowing the lower ground floor to be set into the hillside and largely concealed within the landscape.

A generous entrance hall leads to a central circulation spine which bridges the level change and frames open views to the south. Gallery and living spaces are arranged along this route, culminating in an external terrace that extends the internal sequence of spaces into the landscape.

Materiality reinforces the building’s horizontal expression. The lower level is defined by handmade linear brickwork that grounds the building, while the upper storey is finished in dark render, creating a restrained contrast.

Large floor-to-ceiling openings establish a strong visual and spatial relationship between the interior and the surrounding landscape, with long views across the paddock and agricultural land beyond.