Treetop retreat

Nestled in the middle of a secluded woodland site, Marie Greene's contemporary timber-clad home has become a local landmark

- WORDS Alexandra Pratt

A steep plot in a residential area was the enviable location that initially won Marie Greene over when she was searching for a homebuilding project.

'I'm a lifestyle manager, and I was looking for a retreat,' says Marie. 'I was searching for land and considering converting shipping containers, but then I came across a log cabin that looked like a sanctuary in the woods. I instantly loved it and consequently paid £50,000 over my budget.'

However, it was long after completion that Marie started looking at the property’s practicalities and realised the cabin wasn’t appropriate for her business. Despite the property’s unsuitability, Marie loved the site and was keen to do something with it. 'Every time I walked into the cabin, there were these amazing views,' she says. The land is heavily wooded, but enjoys views through the trees to the town's boating lake and beyond, to open countryside.

CHANGE OF PLANS

'While chatting to a builder friend, he suggested I think about constructing a house there instead and said it would be possible to achieve,' says Marie. Having seen architect Michael Tarring's work, Marie turned to him for the design as well as help in achieving planning permission.

'I didn't expect to get it, but I put a lot of trust in Michael's ability,' says Marie. Michael duly repaid this trust by working with the parish council and engaging with the local community and, to Marie's surprise, the project gained permission.