Our client was keen to overhaul his property in Tubney, Oxfordshire and asked us to help. His 1970s bungalow was dated but nestled in a beautiful plot surrounded by towering trees. This project is a great example of how contemporary, modern house architecture can maximise the potential of a wonderful site. The plot is long and narrow and runs north to south. It has a number of large, mature trees and borders woodland to the rear. We have placed this new modern house lengthways so it stretches deep into the site, from front to back. The principal reception rooms, dining and kitchen are on the first floor. These unusual decisions maximise the size of the house and the amount of natural light in the living space, while creating an amazing view of the gardens and woodland beyond. As you arrive, your eye is immediately drawn to an oversized front door and a cantilevered first floor over-sailing structure. A driveway passes under this, giving access to garaging and a boot room, and a view of the rear garden. Entering through the front door, the playful design continues with a dramatic double-height corridor with a glass roof, picking out views of the treetops above. You pass the ground floor en-suite bedrooms and reach a grand, spiral staircase to the first floor at the back of the house. Here an oculus (circular window) in the roof floods the atrium with light. A ground floor entertainment suite is reached across a large, covered terrace. It includes a home cinema, wine room, sauna and shower - perfect for parties and for family time. A second spiral staircase on this side of the house leads up to the first floor library and office. On the first floor the amazing open-plan living space is raised up into the tree canopy. At one end the main reception room leads out onto a huge terrace. In the centre is a large dining area and impressive show kitchen, with a butler’s kitchen next to the library and office beyond. Careful design detailing and materials choices are everywhere. Stone trimmed with zinc on a chamfer reduces the visual impact of the structure while allowing significant amounts of insulation and wiring. This modern, contemporary house is not just about beautiful architecture. It’s also about high performance, sustainable design, and connection to nature – with terraces, gardens and large glass expanses giving views of the grand oak trees and Scots pines.