BLACKBERRY MEAD PRIVATE DWELLING

The Challenge

Blackberry Mead is a new dwelling located in open countryside within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), a nationally protected and visually sensitive landscape. The key challenge was to design a contemporary home that integrates harmoniously with its setting while conserving and enhancing the special qualities of the AONB. A landscape-led approach was required, informed by a Landscape Character and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA), to ensure a thorough understanding of the site’s sensitivities, existing natural features and ecological potential.

The Design Solution

A Landscape Character and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) established the site’s landscape qualities, sensitivities and sense of place, forming the basis of an iterative landscape-led approach. The house was designed as a single-storey building to minimise visual impact and uses materials compatible with the AONB context. The landscape scheme prioritises ecological enhancement, the retention of existing features, and a subtle integration of the new dwelling into its rural surroundings.