A radical rural development in Herefordshire with community at its core
The story of this development starts with its architects’ own home. A few years ago, Robert and Jessica Barker, founders of Stolon Studio, launched a social architecture project in Forest Hill where they built three live/work houses around a communal courtyard with the aim of fostering community. Having moved into their sociable-housing haven, the couple were soon convinced by the wonders it worked on their wellbeing, having built meaningful relationships with those living there. And so, Robert and Jessica set their sights on creating a new scheme with similar principles – this time in the rolling countryside of Herefordshire.
The site they scored was home to a pair of neglected 16th- and 17th-century barns, which the practice has painstakingly renovated into the two homes, making up The Parks II. The Parks, meanwhile, has seen them overhaul a third barn and convert a dairy, all while taking cues from the local vernacular; the red brick, tiles and terracotta mirror the rich colour of the local soil. The homes also echo the existing agricultural buildings – think characterful wooden beams and light-filled, lofty spaces.
When it comes to communal living, all residents have access to a beautiful shared two-acre pasture and a private pocket of outdoor space each. As well as wanting it to be a place for fun and games, Robert and Jessica are hopeful those living here might cultivate a lovely vegetable garden together – the perfect source of ingredients for communal cooking.
Having access to its own produce is just one way this development does its bit for the planet. Each home, for instance, has been designed to be as energy efficient as possible. The old houses have been completely retrofitted with air-source heat pumps, double glazing and insulation. The new ones, on the other hand, have been built using lovingly preserved oak and elm beams as well as locally sourced materials. Clay paint, meanwhile, which is highly breathable and reduces the chances of mould, has been employed throughout all the homes.
Often the most remarkable rural homes are those that are somewhat isolated, surrounded by nothing but lush landscapes. And while we’re certainly fans of that (who hasn’t found themselves dreaming of peace and solitude in the country?), we love the fact that this development offers an alternative version of idyllic living, where nurturing communities is as important as nurturing one’s own soul.
RELATED ON THE MODERN HOUSE
Listing of the Week: a Norfolk beauty that ushers the natural world in
A family home in Hackney, lovingly tended inside and out
Zen and the art of mindset maintenance in a former warehouse in east London
A duo’s dramatic warehouse conversion hidden in west London
Inside two carbon-negative zero-waste homes in Walthamstow
Skye’s the limit at this home in a serene settlement in the Scottish Highlands
An apartment with star quality in a converted recording studio in west London
A mid-century marvel in Stafford that stands the test of time
A hotel with staying power overlooking the Atlantic in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland
A mid-century gem among the treetops on the Dulwich Estate in Crystal Palace