01__The Vine House
02__Peckham House
03__The Bothy
04__Cottage Industry House
05__Bow House
06__Compton Farm
THE VINE HOUSE
Set in the village of Sonning on the River Thames, described by Jerome K. Jerome in Three Men in a Boat as “the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river,” The Vine House occupies the grounds of Thatched Cottage and was formerly part of the historic estate known as The Grove.
The project involved the conversion of a derelict vine house into a gym and study. Inspired by the ateliers of Brancusi and Hächler, the design retains the tactility of the original structure while introducing a new, low carbon and light-filled building. Nearly all of the existing brickwork was preserved, with repairs carried out using reclaimed bricks from on-site demolition.
The atmosphere of the vine house is shaped by a contrast between openness and enclosure. A long glazed elevation opens the gym to the garden, carried by a 13 metre beam cut from a single tree and set within a timber frame sourced from a single woodland on the shores of Loch Lomond, with a filigree rhythm of aluminium glazing beneath. The study sits to the front, while the former potting shed to the rear remains more enclosed and sunken, with spaces left undefined. The project retains a materially rich, textural density, with original brick and Scottish timber expressed throughout.
The shingle roof responds to the soft thatch of the main house, giving the new structure a contextual presence. Internally, the newly insulated exterior walls are finished in lime plaster, while the texture of the original brick spine wall is left exposed.
All new structure is timber. All insulation is wood fibre, with no plastic and no structural steel. Douglas fir lintels support new openings in walls. A Geocell recycled glass slab reduces the need for concrete, achieving around a 50 percent reduction in volume compared to traditional construction.
SOAK
7-2-17
VANGUARD COURT
LONDON
SE5 8QT
SOAK is an architecture and design studio at the intersection of daily life and craft.