A new country house in the Severn Vale

Swinhay House is a Para 84 (formerly Para 80 and 79) modern country house that is earth-sheltered with dramatic, sweeping, organic forms; the walls and roof emerge from the landscape and rise up to support the central look-out tower.

The building is extremely energy efficient and includes many innovative technologies alongside fabric-first investments in insulation and solar control. Its large lakes act as a heat store and supply seasonal heating and cooling.

The project gained planning consent in 2001 under the PPG7 Country House policy – it allows for the creation of houses of exceptional and outstanding architectural and landscape quality, a modern take on the traditional country house. (The policy is now under paragraph 80 of the National Planning Policy Framework.)

The house is a space dedicated to family gatherings and, alongside bedrooms and apartments, its accommodation includes a large kitchen and dining area overlooking an indoor winter garden, a 25m indoor swimming pool, squash court, cinema room, bowling alley and a large underground car park.

Each garden is individually themed and, sunken into the ground and linked by tunnel or bridge, allowing uninterrupted views from the main house across the landscape.

Swinhay plays host to many charitable events and outdoor theatre productions and has featured on the BBC’s Sherlock series and at the RIBA London. It remains a unique example of a modern country house and it is doubtful there will be others of this style, scale and ambition. We appreciate the legacy of this building for our practice and it always ignites intrigue and debate whenever it is mentioned.

Architects: Austin Design Works

Garden Design: Austin Design Works

Landscape Architects: Rathbone Partnership

Shell and core developments: Roberts Limbrick Architects

Project manager: Swinhay Developments