GHA were approached by a distinctive local property developer, to design a pair of large family homes on the site of a dilapidated bungalow in the village of Barton, in South Cambridgeshire. The houses were designed as a pair, but with each enjoying unique features. The materials of each consist of reclaimed bricks, Welsh slates and bespoke timber windows in keeping with the houses’ rural setting, along with highly contemporary materials such as structural glazing, black zinc and sedum roofs, larch cladding and polished concrete floors. The houses are entered through entirely glazed, double height hallways with vaulted ceilings and exposed oak structure, with clear views through to the gardens. Both houses benefit from generous living spaces, which flow seamlessly into the gardens through large, slimline glazing. Living accommodation continues in sizable basements to both houses, with soft toplight provided around the perimeter of the spaces, and sunken lightwells giving direct access to the gardens. At first floor there are four bedrooms, positioned around a galleried landing, as well as a large home offices, all with views out over the Cambridgeshire countryside. The houses have been completed to an exceptionally high standard, and have been described by a leading property consultant as some of the ‘finest new homes in or around Cambridge’.