Meadow End is the development of two light-touch new builds within the Cheshire Green Belt, designed by Annabelle & Co. Architects. Its simple pitched form is accented with patterned multi-brickwork and contrasted with dark zinc roofing. The project is a sensitive, low-carbon timber-framed home that maintains the facade of traditional masonry construction. It is a sensitive response to a brick-laden village context, playfully using traditional diapering details and dark red tones to elevate its appearance.
From the other side of Hollin Lane, Meadow End camouflages itself behind mature woodland, providing only glimpses into the courtyards of the family homes. Its name comes from the site’s history as the traditional end of the village at the junction of Holly Lane. Placed upon this prominent corner, it blends into the village character with its dark red-toned brickwork without compromising on delivering a high standard of contemporary architecture.
An overriding driver through the evolution of the design has been to manipulate the limited palette of materials. The red multi-brick within the project is arranged in a traditional stretcher bond with elements of burglar bond providing nuance. These tumbled bricks, with a collection of darker red hues, harmonize with the earth tones of the mature trees and provide the illusion of a building built before its time.
The home was extensively modelled throughout the design process, and brick features such as the chimney and recessed entrance were carefully considered. The chimney is a prominent moment where the brick and vertically seamed dark zinc meet, wrapping around the protruding form. The recessed entrance threshold into the home acts as a gateway into the heart of the ground floor while providing shelter with its overhanging masonry.
The kitchen and dining spaces extend from the main building as a single-storey element, accentuating the feeling of indoor/outdoor living as daylight enters from all three facades. The open plan configuration provides views out to the landscaped garden spaces, and in combination with the internally exposed timber, makes the home feel as though it is deeply connected with the woodland setting.
The simple contemporary form, low-carbon timber frame, and creatively designed brick facade combine to make a humble home in rural Cheshire that sits comfortably within its village setting. The local vernacular and the rural woodland setting have both been acknowledged, and the design is a celebration of contemporary home design.
