The clients set out to self-build their forever home on a stunning site in the Suffolk countryside. Their brief was to create a dramatic house that engaged fully with the garden and wider landscape, while being low in embodied carbon, energy-efficient in use, and built to a tight budget.

The site is oriented east–west, tucked behind a row of existing properties, and sits on a slight rise when viewed from the north. In response, the eastern and northern elevations are deliberately low-profile, maintaining privacy and creating the sense of ‘stealth’ the clients requested on approach.

To the south and west, the home rises into a restrained wedge form clad entirely in western red cedar shingles, creating a subtle yet striking presence in the landscape. Inside, vaulted ceilings give the spaces a dramatic and generous character.