Last week The Modern House team braved the elements on a trip to explore Skene Catling de la Peña’s Flint House and Windmill Hill in Buckinghamshire.
Awarded the RIBA House of the Year in 2015, Flint House was inspired by the geology of its position on a chalk seam that runs from Norfolk to the White Cliffs of Dover. The building was designed to maintain the natural memory of the site and is embedded in the landscape.
Described as ‘a marvel of geological evolution and construction’, the house is clad in knapped flint that gradates from steely grey to soft chalk. Reverent to the wild landscape, the form follows the profile of the surrounding trees, while the materials were intended to support the growth of moss, ferns and lichen to further integrate the architecture and its environment.
Nearby Windmill Hill was designed by Stephen Marshall Architects and occupies the site of an old dairy. The new development observes the footprint of the farm buildings and establishes a dialogue between the contemporary additions and the original red-brick barns. The buildings now house the Rothschild archives and various charity offices as well as a collection of modern and contemporary art.
Read more about Flint House and Windmill Hill.
