The Bothy
Living Space, Cambridge
The Brief
The idea for this project had been brewing with the client for a very long time. It was something that came to them when studying the history of the house and garden, and at the same time pulling in ideas from their passion for arts, the lake district and the journey they had been on during their lives.
When we came to discuss the client’s ideas it was clear from the first conversation that we were going to be involved in something magical and special. The emotion and passion coming from the client was something that reflects in the way we love to work. It was a true collaboration of hearts and minds.
The Design
The structure was to be a step back in time, using the same building technique’s as the houses in the village it sits in. Cob, oak, larthe & plaster, leaded glass, stone, slate, lime render and lime paint. But adding our own sculptural art in to the design. We also worked things in to the design that we found during the ground works. A broken historic plate was worked in to the cob feature wall, an ancient rusty nail was placed in to an oak beam to hang… something on!
The Result
When walking through the garden, you don’t see this structure until you come round a corner, hidden by yew trees, this was the plan. A structure you stumble upon and get drawn into by its beauty and mystery.
The wonderful thing about the build was that everyone picked up on the same vibe. Every single tradesman from the ground worker up to the roofer and everyone in between played their part in the ‘design & build’ process. There were no rules, just lots of great ideas being passed around constantly. It was great to see how Kate and the client developed a very special relationship through the cob work. The sculptures evolved through concept sketches and a lot of standing back and thinking.
You can certainly feel the love put into this build as soon as you walk in. What a journey!!
