A Classically Inspired Self Build

Jeremy and Annabelle Taylor’s new Dorset country house is a practical family home which reflects the architecture of traditional stone properties in the area.

Designing this house without any previous experience or formal training was extremely difficult, and planning was a nightmare of uncer­tainty,” says Jeremy Taylor. “Consulting an archi­tect would have made the process much easier, but I was determined to do it myself and learnt as I went along.”

Jeremy and his wife, Annabelle, had been living in a London flat and were hoping to move to the country with their daughter Rose, now four. After viewing over 40 potential properties, Jeremy found a 1950s red brick house in Dorchester with one and a half acres of land. “We had spent holidays in Dorset and have friends in the area,” he explains. “The house was rather ugly, but it was in such a pretty and remote rural location, within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, that we could see the potential.”

Initially, the Taylors considered extending and remodelling the existing property, but then con­cluded that it would be far more practical to demolish and replace it with a new house which would be better suited to family life. Jeremy had been working as a painter and decorator in London and, although he had very little building experience, his love of architecture led him to spend six months drawing up his own plans for the new dwelling.

“We bought the house without any planning consent for a replacement, and just hoped for the best,” says Annabelle. “Luckily, we didn’t know anything about planning. If we had we probably wouldn’t have bought it, because when Jeremy first presented his ideas to the planners they were totally opposed to the design, which they thought was too large. He scaled down the size and left out his study — although we have since built a separate office in the garden which resembles a stable.”

The couple chose to build in Hamstone, a sedi­mentary limestone formed by shells and plankton and quarried at Ham Hill, just ten miles from their site, and the only place in the world to quarry this stone. Jeremy designed the symmetrical exterior of the building with an imposing stone entrance portico, above which a round window lights the staircase within. The proportions and embellish­ments of the design are reflections of neighbouring farms and houses, built over centuries in the same stone, which sit naturally amongst the surrounding hills. Despite applying many of the conventions of classical tradi­tion, Jeremy is adamant that the building was not conceived as a neo-Georgian design.

Jeremy consulted builders, architectural technol­ogists and a structural engineer for advice, but was determined not to employ an architect. He wanted to retain as much control as possible, but found some of the technical specifications confusing. “I remember having to ask how wide the cavity should be in the blockwork walls, and wondering what a cavity tray was,” he laughs, “but I worked everything out eventually — from the kitchen and bathroom layouts to the position of the flu for the Aga. Consequently, the build itself went quite smoothly because I had already thought through all of the technical details.”

The Taylors rented a property in Dorset and Jeremy gave up work to project manage the build and labour on site. He employed a builder upon recommendation, who demolished the existing house in just 45 minutes and cleared the site ready for the reinforced trench-fill foundations and slab. The 400mm thick external walls of the house were constructed from insulated cavity blockwork, tied to a further wall of Hamstone. 155mm of stone rubble has been used for the sides of the house, with 75mm of fine facing ashlar to the front and rear elevations.

“The stone was pre-cut and was actually quite easy for the builder to lay,” says Jeremy. “We employed a stonemason for the more fiddly bits, such as the portico, with the window cills, surrounds and keystones all made to my design by the quarry. There are some good books available which give profiles for cornice and proportions for the classical form, including formulas for the size of the portico. If I didn’t like something I would change it slightly — which is basically what people have been doing for centuries.”

Building regulations dictated double glazed win­dows, with sashes on the ground and first floors and casements in the children’s rooms. Slim glazing bars maximise the amount of light entering the house and give a delicate appearance, and these have been fixed to the outside of single sheets of glass — a system which works as an alternative to single glazed units.

After 18 months, the Taylors had to leave their rented property and moved into the unfinished house, which had a temporary kitchen, no internal doors and bare concrete floors. It took them a further four months to complete the outstanding work, and Jeremy decorated the house with the help of three farmer’s daughters, who also assisted with caring for the children.

As a family home the interiors needed to be hard-wearing and practical, and Annabelle and Jeremy have combined period features, such as decorative plasterwork and antique furniture, with modern-day items, including low voltage lighting and contem­porary cherry wood kitchen units. Thinking about the furniture from the very start helped Jeremy to focus on the interiors, and he was able to integrate items such as the concealed fridge in the drawing room and the hi-fi hidden inside a kitchen cupboard. “Choosing furniture kept me going because it helped me to envisage the end result,” says Jeremy.

“After all our hard work I actually felt a little flat when the scaffolding was eventually taken down, because the project was over. I love the house and enjoyed the build and it is something I would definitely consider doing again. And I’ve learnt so much that hopefully it will be much easier the next time.”