The estate started their diversification into hospitality by creating a restaurant in the old brick barns of a Georgian farmyard. When this became a success they extended their plan for the future by building a contemporary wedding and events venue plus boutique hotel alongside the old buildings. Their concept for the new build gives a nod to the traditional use of the place by drawing heavily on the design of modern farm buildings, giving the sense of a farm barn location but with high end and modern interiors.

As part of the estate forestry works, they were forced to clear a sizeable area of woodland affected by ash die back. This open space has an almost outdoor cathedral quality – soft, quiet and calm – and the owners wanted to share this with their guests. 

They asked me to help them develop a conceptual design for a satellite venue for short term use with a relaxed and casual feel with a high end finish, to complement the main wedding and events hub. Their main requirement was for a shelter of some form with a light touch to the environment.