The Nook is a new-build four bedroom family house set in a secluded valley in Monmouthshire. Planning permission for the 250m2 home was granted to replace a utilitarian 1960’s bungalow that had previously occupied a corner of the 1 acre Wye Valley site.

The design adopts simple, confident massing handled with a contemporary sensibility. A steel frame enables an open and flexible layout incorporating double height spaces and long structural spans. Regional materials such as locally quarried stone and natural slate have been used to establish a building with a natural affinity to its setting. The privacy of the house’s rural location enables generous areas of glazing to be employed, illuminating the living spaces with natural light as well as framing views of the surrounding landscape, which appears to passes though the home. Large sliding glass panels open up the elevations to the outside.

The detailing of the house explores a number of vernacular elements and construction techniques through a modern lens. Examples include smooth disc-cut splayed stone window reveals that contrast with the rugged texture of hand-dressed sandstone walls; a black steel frame that brings visual precision and a grid of graphic separation to the naturally-weathering materials of the elevations; and a built-in settle and welsh dresser that make the kitchen and dining space flexible and accommodating.