KEEPING A LOW PROFILE

A REFUSAL TO UPSTAGE THE SURROUNDING WILD LANDSCAPE HAS PRODUCED A HOME THAT EMBRACES THE BEAUTY OF UNDERSTATEMENT

- Caroline Ednie

On the edge of a steep Somerset hillside, looking out over a picturesque village to the sea beyond, sits an elegant, modern home with the evocative name of PilgrimsHouse. It might be utterly under stated, but this newly completed building is nevertheless a landmark achievement in that it is one of the first contemporary new houses to be given the green light in Exmoor National Park.

According to its Glasgow-based architect Daniel Bär, it’s all the more gratifying as this is a modest single-storey, low-tech home “built like our grandparents built”.

The minimal palette of materials is matched by the equally restrained colour palette. The main contractor, Ware Construction, did more than just build the house. The firm also made many of the bespoke internal features such as the pivoting doors, the shelving units and the built-in furniture, as well as these doors for external storage. [Previous pages] Wienerberger’s bright buff Marziale bricks take on the greens of the surrounding landscape. The windows were supplied by Fenster Architectural Glazing. The quantity surveyor was Gates Consultants and the structural engineer was SF Structures Scotland