Studio Octopi | Prestwick Place

RESIDENTIAL

Prestwick Place

Gerrards Cross, England

Ongoing

The extension of this farmhouse in the Buckinghamshire green belt was shaped by the constraints of its context and Grade II listing, and a loose brief that has shaped a phased sequence of interventions. The oldest part of the building dates back to the 17th century, but a motley series of extensions left the inside spaces cellular and its outside appearance confused.

The initial phase added a garage/studio and, to remove reliance on oil as fuel, introduced ground and air source heat pumps and photovoltaics. Stripping the house back to a more sympathetic 1920s remodelling, a second-phase red-brick extension will be separated from the original by a glass link, and finally a lightweight, glazed poolhouse will be added.

The farmhouse in the 1920s, when it was remodelled for the first time.

Aerial view of the site.

Model showing existing cumulative extensions and additions in yellow

Model with existing extensions removed and proposed additions in blue: a linked extension, garage/studio and poolhouse.

Axonometric view of the site. The pitched gable of the linked extension continues the varied roofline of the south elevation.

Sample board, comparing selected materials against the original brick and tile.

Samples of red Petersen Kolumba brick and hanging tiles, chosen for their handmade quality.

Material studies for the garage building, with traditional materials alongside more contemporary options for a bronze cladding, finished to look like timber or tiles.

Sketch studies explored how various materials would look in the rural context.

Axonometric drawing of the new wing, showing ground floor kitchen and bedrooms.