Nixon House

: West Grimstead

Nixon House is a contemporary home spanning 4,800 sq ft, nestled in the Wiltshire countryside. Central to the brief was the client’s desire to create a forever home in a location where they had lived for many years. The building had to respond positively to its rural context and create a connection with the location.

The home is inspired by the form of traditional barn structures and designed to blend seamlessly with its rural setting. The building features a blend of traditional materials—flint, brick, slate, and timber cladding—applied with contemporary detailing. This material palette evokes the essence of a classic farmstead, grounding the home in its surroundings. The house is arranged in three distinct volumes. A central flint-clad structure houses the open-plan kitchen, dining, and family spaces, while two wings provide bedroom and ancillary areas. The eastern wing is splayed to open the southern side to the landscape, creating a sheltered courtyard around the entrance. Sustainability is at the core of the design, with renewable technologies like an air source heat pump, photovoltaic solar panels, and MVHR. The building’s orientation maximises solar gain and natural light, while solar shading ensures comfort by minimising overheating. The house offers expansive views of the surrounding landscape while providing a modern living space fit for the 21st century.