The developer Brookes Cavendish Ltd, aquired a stunning site with views of Oxford's spires and wanted to build a new house to sit into the sloping site.  In conjunction with the architects Browning Lowe Ashdown, who came up with the intitial basic concept, we designed and detailed this new house around a circular stair tower with two wings radiating out on the sloping site. Rendered walls with a local stone plinth ground the building whilst the expressed timber structure, cladding and glazed panels lighten the mass and allow light to penetrate every internal space. A ground source heat pump was installed as the sole heat source, and rigorous insulation details provide a very energy efficient home. The overall impression is that of a modern take on the traditional Edwardian Arts & Carfts ethos.