Nixon House

A Contemporary Farmstead for Modern Living

Designed as a forever home for its owners, Nixon House is an award-winning contemporary home set within the Wiltshire countryside. Inspired by the simple forms of traditional agricultural buildings, the design reinterprets the character of a rural farmstead through a series of carefully composed volumes that respond to the landscape, maximise natural light and create a home designed for modern family life.

Rather than creating a single large building, the house is arranged as a collection of connected forms that sit comfortably within their rural setting, reducing their visual impact while creating a rich architectural experience from every approach.

Three Buildings, One Home

The house is organised around three distinct volumes connected by lightweight glazed links. At its heart, a flint-clad central pavilion contains the kitchen, dining and family spaces - the social focus of the home. Two quieter wings provide bedrooms and private accommodation, balancing openness with retreat.

The arrangement of the buildings creates a series of sheltered courtyard spaces while carefully framing views across the surrounding countryside. Each volume is orientated to optimise daylight, solar gain and privacy, ensuring every space feels connected to the landscape.

Materiality

The material palette draws inspiration from the agricultural heritage of the site, combining flint, brick, slate and timber in a contemporary composition that feels both timeless and rooted in place.

The flint-clad central volume anchors the house, while the timber wings soften its appearance and echo the surrounding woodland. As the timber naturally silvers with age, the building will continue to blend into its landscape, reinforcing the relationship between architecture and nature.

Designed for the Future

Sustainability informed the design from the outset. Alongside a highly insulated building envelope, Nixon House incorporates an air source heat pump, photovoltaic panels and Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) to reduce energy consumption and improve long-term comfort.

Passive environmental design also plays a key role. The orientation of the house, carefully positioned glazing and integrated solar shading work together to maximise natural light while reducing overheating, creating a comfortable home throughout the year.

The surrounding landscape has been designed to enhance biodiversity through new native planting, orchard trees and wildlife habitats, ensuring the architecture sits within a thriving ecological setting.

Contemporary Architecture Rooted in Place

Nixon House demonstrates how contemporary architecture can draw inspiration from rural traditions without resorting to imitation. Through a careful balance of form, materiality and landscape, the project creates a home that is both confidently modern and deeply connected to its surroundings.

The result is a timeless family home that reflects Adam Knibb Architects' belief that the best architecture grows from its setting while looking confidently to the future.