The Accessible House
Albury End, Hertfordshire
The Accessible House was commissioned by a private client who suffers from a debilitating neurological disorder that confines him to a wheelchair. His current home, a Grade 2 listed farmhouse is grossly inadequate for his needs as it is arranged on two storeys with numerous internal level changes and narrow doorways.
Threefold Architects was approached to design a new build house on a piece of adjacent farmland, in place of an existing barn. In addition to designing a fully accessible dwelling, the site is located within the very sensitive Hertfordshire green belt. The scheme, therefore, not only had to fit the particular needs of the client, but be an exemplary piece of contemporary design that reinterprets the local vernacular to satisfy the planning authority.
Threefold Architects proposed a contemporary single storey house comprised of three separate timber framed pitched roof buildings clad in charred timber boards. A glass walkway links each of the main spaces and provides access onto a large south-facing courtyard. All rooms command outstanding views of the countryside and are flooded with natural light. The simple form echoes the local black timbered barns, which pepper the surrounding area, allowing it to sit comfortably and subtly within the rural landscape.