Amid Cornwall’s rolling landscapes, Hugh Strange Architects’ Farmworker's House reimagines the region’s rural vernacular, blending inspiration from traditional West Country farmsteads with a contemporary sensibility attuned to its surroundings.
Nestled at the edge of a wooded corner, the house occupies a site overlooking a field and a livestock shed. Its courtyard layout—a familiar element of agricultural architecture—provides protection from the coastal winds while creating an intimate garden space at its core. The textured lime-render walls and low boundary walls echo the tones of the landscape, allowing the home to blend harmoniously with its setting.
The design respects the landscape while asserting a clear sense of presence. Organized in an L-shaped plan, the residence separates its functions across two wings. The primary living area—a lofty space with barn-like ceilings—accommodates the kitchen, dining, and living zones, while the other wing houses the bedrooms. Large openings throughout the home frame views of the surrounding fields, connecting its interiors to the natural environment. A central hall and adjacent office link the two wings, creating a spatial rhythm that balances openness and seclusion.
Material choices are deliberate and understated, highlighting both durability and warmth. White plastered walls and dark tiled floors form a clean, restrained palette, while exposed Douglas fir beams evoke the construction of traditional barns. The walls, made of monolithic clay blocks, forgo the typical cavity structure, emphasizing solidity and insulation. This construction method also allows for deep window reveals, which further reinforce the home’s robust character.
At the heart of the home, the courtyard garden offers a sheltered retreat. Paved patios, a vegetable patch, and soft planting combine to create a space for relaxation and practical use, seamlessly connecting the domestic interior to the surrounding farmland. Two doors in the garden’s boundary wall provide direct access to the working landscape beyond, blending utility and tranquility.
The residence is capped with a corrugated metal roof—a practical nod to agricultural buildings in the region. This element extends to a mono-pitched garage, reinforcing the dialogue between the home’s contemporary design and its rural inspirations.
Farmworker's House bridges the past and present, drawing on the strength and simplicity of rural forms while reinterpreting them for modern living. It is a home that feels deeply rooted in its environment, offering both shelter and a profound connection to the land.
