Option 2: ‘Farmyard’ scheme

We were invited by the owner of a large luxury country house hotel in the UK to provide some design options to explore the feasibility of building a new swimming pool complex within the grounds. The site selected by the owner included an old grade 2 listed bothy structure that needed to be incorporated.

The plan and form is loosely based on a traditional English farmstead for the accommodation of farming families and livestock. These exist throughout England as several variations - this scheme is interpreted from a typical courtyard plan. This concept explores the nature of the existing bothy structure and references the existing farm within the hotel grounds.

The new buildings have also been designed to respect and to be deferential to both the bothy and the surrounding landscape - they have been developed as an eclectic and modern interpretation of traditional farmyard buildings such as granary stores, stackyards and shelter sheds.

While they are based on a vernacular representation externally, they would be designed to be very modern and contemporary inside. The idea is to keep it very simple, calm and peaceful. A feeling of serenity in the middle of the countryside is the aim here.

We are proposing that a number of traditional mobile ‘shepherd’s huts’ are adapted to house gym equipment – these would be placed in the landscape and nestle between trees or be placed further into the fields. That way, guests can workout on multi-functional ‘power-plates’ in the middle of a field in total privacy.