Meadow Gables
Meadow Gables
Meadow Gables is a contemporary home in the countryside on the Bedfordshire-Hertfordshire border, currently fully designed and granted planning permission. The proposal reinterprets traditional rural forms through a modern lens, creating a series of interlocking gables at varying heights to form a dynamic composition. Glazed links connect each volume, drawing the interior and exterior together.
The upper elements are expressed in steel and timber, sitting above a brick base that grounds the building within its agricultural setting. A slate roof provides a restrained counterpoint, anchoring the design within the landscape.
Generous glazing is carefully positioned to frame views across the surrounding fields, bringing natural light deep into the plan and reinforcing a strong sense of openness and connection.
The scheme balances bold contemporary expression with sensitivity to its context, resulting in a home that feels both modern and rooted in its rural setting.
Early Studies
Loose, iterative sketches explored form, massing and proportion within a wider rural context. The design approach was grounded in reading the character of the surrounding landscape and village edge, where open fields meet a small, historic settlement defined by traditional red brick buildings and a modest gothic church to the west.
Rather than responding directly, the scheme sought to distil these cues into a contemporary architectural language. The core idea emerged through testing and refinement, with orientation and form carefully considered to maximise views, light, and the potential of the site. The building was positioned to engage both near and distant context, drawing in long rural views while maintaining a strong sense of enclosure.
These early drawings explored the balance between traditional forms and a contemporary architectural expression, informed by material reference and the quiet character of the village edge.
Spatial Studies
The interior spaces were developed as a direct expression of structure and light. A floating staircase wraps around a central spine wall, creating a sense of movement and connection through the heart of the home. Above, vaulted ceilings and exposed glulam trusses define the living space, while polished concrete floors ground the composition. The result is a sequence of spaces where structure is not concealed, but carefully composed as part of the interior experience.
