The Retreat at Sussex House
We fell in love with the place immediately. The position for the new building, a gym, studio and guest retreat, was chosen for its breathtaking views across the South Downs and the overwhelming sense of calm it offered. From the outset, we knew this had to be a building that belonged to the landscape rather than dominated it. It felt very special and it was clear that we wanted to design a building to be a part of and add to the amazing landscape, discovered quietly, as part of a journey.
Much of our early conversation focused on peace, solitude and retreat, and on how the act of moving from the main house to this new space could become a moment of transition in its own right.
Project Info
- Location: South Downs
- Cost: £0.8 Million
- Designation: National Park, Area of Outstanding Beauty, Agricultural Rural Countryside
- Collaborators: Whaleback, Nicholls Countryside Construction, Andy Sturgeon Landscape, MESH
Environmental Data
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Energy Efficiency
1 2 3 4 5 6
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Thermal Mass
1 2 3 4 5 6
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Solar PV
1 2 3 4 5 6
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Embodied Carbon
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
- Heating/Hot Water
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Solar Thermal
Yes No
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Rain Water Harvest
Yes No
- Ventilation
-
Energy Storage
Yes No
Andy Sturgeon’s beautiful landscape design plays a vital role in shaping that experience. We worked closely with the existing earth mounds he had created, allowing them to define the route, at times enclosing the path and offering shelter, at others opening out through carefully placed gaps to long views across the Downs. The journey feels protected yet connected, inward-looking and expansive at the same time.
An early and decisive move was to place the building between two of these earth mounds and allow the land to flow over and around it. By doing so, we allowed the architecture to dissolve into the landscape, reading as part of the terrain rather than an object placed upon it.
The architecture is highly crafted and driven by an ambition for extremely low embodied carbon. We clad the exposed walls in locally sourced knapped flint, grounding the building in its material context and history. To deepen our understanding of the craft, we spent time with local craftsman David Smith and experienced first-hand the process of flint knapping. This hands-on learning directly informed our detailing and deepened our respect for the skill, patience and intuition embedded in the finished work.
Inside, the sense of flow continues. We shaped curved walls, bespoke oak joinery and carefully engineered glazing to soften the spaces and reinforce the building’s relationship with the surrounding landforms. Clay plaster finishes by Clayworks bring warmth, texture and tactility, creating interiors that feel calm, grounded and quietly uplifting.
This is a retreat shaped through landscape, making and collaboration. A place we designed to restore and reflect, it extends the legacy of the site with care and restraint, and has become deeply loved.
