Flint House: living in a work of art

In the heart of Buckinghamshire, on the historic grounds of Waddesdon Manor, stands Flint House, a project designed to perfectly complement the natural and historical context of the location.

A deep connection with the landscape

The Flint House is an extraordinary example of contemporary architecture projects. Commissioned to accommodate recipients of the Getty Rothschild Fellowship, this unique building was designed by Skene Catling de la Peña and is located on a chalk vein that stretches from the White Cliffs of Dover to Norfolk, on the east coast of Britain. This unique geological location inspired the architects to treat the building as a natural extension of the landscape, a true geological extrusion. Flint, an ancient and cryptocrystalline material, abounds on the surface of the plowed fields surrounding the site, making it the ideal choice for the project.

Nature-Inspired Architecture

The Flint House is materially conceived as a sculpted flint landscape made habitable. The building's design creatively utilizes flint, transforming it into terraces where the main body is cut or sculpted, such as on the roof and balconies. The terraces, with their smooth and glassy quality, reflect the natural waxy sheen of flint, and their color is carefully graded to follow the material's natural progression.

Aesthetics and functionality in perfect harmony

The architects chose flint for its rawness, desiring the building to evoke the works of artists like Keifer, with his paintings of ash and lead, or Auerbach's brushstrokes. The rough texture of the building visually responds to the clumps of plowed earth in the surrounding fields. The flint ranges from a rustic, oily black base to dissolving into a smooth, matte chalk, creating a fascinating transition of materials.

Functional and Welcoming Design

The Flint House is not only an aesthetic masterpiece, but also a functional building. It includes three bedrooms, a dining room, a kitchen, a library, and a study, as well as a separate self-contained studio of 465 and 115 square meters respectively. Every detail has been carefully considered to ensure comfort and practicality, without ever compromising the harmonious integration with the surrounding natural environment.

PEOPLE

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