Chapel House
Chapel House emerges from its landscape yet sits lightly on the landscape. Set within a historic New Forest hamlet, it is a thoughtfully designed replacement dwelling that draws on the agricultural vernacular while responding sensitively to the needs of its occupants and the surrounding landscape.
Conceived with a respect for place and planet, Chapel House is a low-impact, energy-efficient home that champions sustainable living. Its form and materiality echo the barns and outbuildings of the local landscape, while its construction prioritizes natural, breathable materials that age gracefully and tread lightly on the environment.
“ The goal of architecture is to create a sense of place, not merely to build structures” Moshe Safdie
Project Info
- Location: New Forest National Park
- Cost: £1.8 million
- Designation: Conservation Area, New Forest National Park
- Collaborators: Draycotts, Bombas Ecology
- Image Credit: PAD studio
Environmental Data
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Energy Efficiency
1 2 3 4 5 6
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Insulation
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
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Thermal Mass
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
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Airtightness
1 2 3 4 5 6
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Solar PV
1 2 3 4 5
- Heating/Hot Water
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Solar Thermal
Yes No
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Rain Water Harvest
Yes No
- Ventilation
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Energy Storage
Yes No
The area once a thriving hub of salt production and maritime trade, is steeped in rural character and quiet resilience. Chapel House pays homage to this legacy through its form and materiality—echoing the barns and outbuildings that have long defined the area’s architectural language. The home’s low-slung profile and natural textures blend seamlessly into the forest edge, reinforcing a sense of continuity with the land and its history.
The home is designed to be future-proofed, with level access throughout and seamless transitions between interior and landscape. This inclusive approach ensures long-term accessibility and comfort, particularly in response to the client’s health needs. Every detail—from the gentle thresholds to the tactile, textured finishes—has been considered to support wellbeing and ease of use.
The material palette is deliberately natural and grounded: lime-rendered walls, timber cladding, and locally sourced stone create a warm, sensory-rich environment that connects the occupants to the rhythms of the land. Large openings frame views of the surrounding forest, inviting light and nature into the heart of the home.
Designed with health and accessibility at its core, Chapel House provides a future-proofed living environment. Level access throughout the home and into the landscape ensures ease of movement and independence, while generous openings and natural light support physical and emotional wellbeing. The layout is intuitive and calming, with spaces arranged to reduce strain and accommodate changing health needs over time.
Energy efficiency is embedded in the design, with high-performance insulation, passive solar strategies, and low-carbon technologies working together to minimize environmental impact. The home sits lightly on the land, respecting the ecological richness of the New Forest and contributing to a sustainable future.
Chapel House is more than a residence. It is a quiet statement of how architecture can be both rooted and responsive, beautiful and functional, traditional and forward-looking.
