Designing a new build in one of St Albans' most sensitive conservation areas meant navigating a site where several previous schemes had failed to win planning approval. Bounded by an ancient Roman wall and neighboring a historic church, the context demanded an architecture that was deeply respectful but still progressive.

From the front, the house is intensely private, a low-lying, modest brick facade that acts as a quiet extension of the existing walled garden. At the rear, the house draws on a mid-century Californian sensibility. Generous expanses of glass dissolve the boundary between the living spaces and the landscape.

Crafted from simple, enduring timber and brick, the house sits lightly in its historic enclave. It’s a highly contemporary intervention that feels as though it has always belonged there.