Ferry House is a private bespoke replacement dwelling located near the historic city of Salisbury, completed in 2023 by award winning Winchester based Architects AR Design Studio.

The site is surrounded by mature trees to the south and east, and a large area of woodland to the North. The ground slopes steeply down to banks of the river Avon that meanders along the sites western boundary. Across the river are far reaching views over the Salisbury flood plains with the spire of Salisbury cathedral in the distance. Swans swim the river, cows graze the flood plains and kites soar overhead. The site was once home to a ferry man, who ferried walkers across the river, providing the house’s namesake.

The house is comprised of three wings. Each wing has a pitched roof and splays outwards in plan and upwards in elevation from the center, meaning the spaces at the end of each wing are wider and taller than those in the center. Each has a different function, one dedicated to living areas, one the private master suite, dressing and office, and the other is back of house, including garage, boot room and utility. From the front the house appears as a single story pavilion. At the rear the ground slopes away to reveal a lower ground floor emerging from the ground.

The wings crank to afford views up and down the river and the panoramic landscape. Further framed picture views at its end capture the woodland and nearby Longford Castle. The wings divide the site into three external areas, the forecourt, river side garden, and kitchen garden with raised planters and an outdoor kitchen complete with built in Braai, allowing for elevated views across the landscape in the summer evenings.

The house is approached from the top of the site and appears as a single storey pavilion. You enter the house at the meeting point of the wings; the geometry of each is expressed internally and come to a vaulted apex in the entrance hall. A picture window opposite gives a framed view of landscape and the cathedral beyond. The entrance area leads onto each wing. The ‘back of house’ wing faces the approach, the living and sleeping wings splay to embrace the views from NW to SE. The main living wing takes advantage of views of the river, flood plains and cathedral beyond, and a framed view to the woodland to the north, and to the kitchen garden to the NE. Windows on both sides of this space allow for light and views through as well as effective cross ventilation. The dual aspect master bedroom at the end of the opposite wing looks out over a bend in the river towards Longford Castle, and across the flood plains to Salisbury cathedral.

Linking the two wings is a recessed balcony that allows each room to step out into a covered external area, connecting the inside and outside whilst also providing solar shading to large expanses of glass.

The lower ground floor is reached by a light filled atrium from the entrance area and is dedicated to additional accommodation for when the family visits. Part of the brief was to create a home that would suit the owner as they get older, so all their living requirements are accommodated in a single storey, with the LGF providing the additional accommodation required for large family gatherings.

Timber cladding settles the house into its verdant wooded location. Having the same material on the roof and walls reinforces the carved sculptural geometry of house. Pre weathering the timber ensures that the cladding does not weather at different rates, giving a uniform weathering across the whole house. The LGF is brick clad, a solid, massive material emerging from the earth to contrast the lightweight timber form perched above. Internally, a timber clad ceiling amplifies the geometry of the roofs and also provides acoustic dampening. A concrete ceiling and exposed structure downstairs reinforces the solidity and mass of the Lower ground floor and provide further contrast to the light and airy ground floor.

Sustainability was a key consideration in the design and construction of the house. The house is orientated to benefit from solar gains during the winter, with the recessed balcony providing solar shading in the summer months. Windows allow for ample natural light in all spaces, reducing the need for artificial lighting. A shallow plan allows for effective cross ventilation of the principal spaces and an air source heat pump, highly specified construction and a fabric first approach to detailing, with three times the required insulation, have ensured the completed project achieves a super thermally and energy efficient home for future.

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“Couldn’t be happier with our AR designed house. They listened and took a careful brief, they thoroughly assessed the site and thought about how to take best advantage of the location and they came up with a design which looked exciting on paper and is now a dream to live in. They also took full responsibility throughout the build for ensuring the contractors had all the necessary information they needed and for monitoring the quality of the finishes. Thank you Andy and team.”

Client Testimonial