Catsfield Cabin
Our clients had an overgrown parcel of land, The site topography was steep and unsafe, the brief was to provide a practical route up to the wild garden, Keeping the majority area green and Native, adding additional trees and planting, carving the contours to a more smooth and organic form. Given the rolling hills of countryside that surrounds, CL had to ensure the project was innkeeping and sensitive to its area of outstanding natural beauty. Our clients wanted to maximise time spent outdoors, with a passion for alfresco cooking and socialising with friends under the stars, an overall rustic design approach was adopted, taking influence from the rural Sussex scenery.
CL kept the material pallet minimal, using locally sourced Chestnut and Oak for the cabins main elements. The design was shaped around a “semi open” structure, The roof begins as fully exposed beams, gradually becoming semi clad, with a venetian type slatted timber, allowing the natural light to produce beautiful dappled tones and shade, With 50% of the cabin fully weathered.
CL love to add details that are unique to each project, The catsfield Cabin included some quirky touches, The Kitchen work surface has been crafted using a solid slab of sanded Oak, with a waney edged front, sourced from a local saw mill. A salvage yard cabinet has been upcycled to create a storage area for Herbs and spices. The galvanised retro wall pendants add a warm soft glow, and touch of class, creating a comfortable atmosphere to the space.
CL reshaped the existing landscape, creating a more useable, flexible space that is functional for humans and wildlife, We kept the concept of rolling hills, by adding a series of curved earth mounds and banks, flowing aside the pathway and softening the ends of the cabin, blurring the Hard features with nearby nature. Plentiful native hedging and trees were also added to the scheme to help screen and add privacy, not to mention increase pollinators with an area of wildflower meadow, and numerous fruit trees dotted between the open spaces. Since revisiting, the clients have also added a small Wild Pond to attract further biodiversity.