Words Hannah Clugston
Photography Rachel Ferriman

Shawm House is an immensely personal build and Richard was assisted by architects MawsonKerr in designing the home that would be a more accessible rural retreat for Anne and his father, Tony. With assistance from various tradespeople and local artisans, Richard built many elements of the home himself in an abandoned hay shed that became his “mini factory”.

Winning numerous RIBA awards for its design and sustainable credentials, the final home aligns with the peaceful surrounding scenery. “It’s definitely about the views,” says Anne – who admits that Shawm House exceeded all her expectations. “I don't think either my husband or I had appreciated quite what the result was going to be.” Expecting something more conventional, their home has breathtaking views, a sun trap balcony and a living space that runs entirely from one end of the building to the other.

Shawm House is a unique project, tell me where the idea for it first came from.

Anne: Well, I think you ought to lead on that answer Richard – but it was to give Richard a job to do!

Richard: That isn’t quite true! But, at the time, I was doing a Master’s in renewable energy and I wasn’t sure of my next step. To the south of Shawm House is an old 1830s farmhouse where we’d been living, which is fine for a family, but we’d all left, and Mum and Dad were getting older. It was very expensive to heat, and in winter they’d be confined to one room in the extension. It wasn’t appropriate for their needs, but they loved the surrounding area and context.

In the past, an architect friend of the family had suggested developing a couple of the outbuildings to the rear of the farmhouse into a small holiday let. We took that idea and said, well, could you build a new home there? We took the proposal to the planners, and they were so adamant that nothing could be built there that they offered to refund us the application costs. I still have the letter, which is sort of a badge of pride.

Obviously, you did get planning permission in the end, but what was it in the designs that won the planners round?

Richard: We knew that whatever we built would be impressive from an environmental perspective. But, I suppose, the planning situation pushed us more on the architecture and innovation front, so we ended up designing something quite innovative to boost the planning application.

I think the planners went for it because of the complete, all-round nature of the application. From a materials point of view – driving sustainability through the project – we sourced locally, so the building is wrapped in larch from just over the border In Scotland and the stone is from Alston – about 30 miles south.

The driveway to the house is lined with woodland with several mature trees, and we worked with an amazing woodworking collective – Real Wood Studios – in Scotland who felled some of the trees. They came down with a mobile sawmill and planked up some of the trees on the driveway. This table that we're sat at, the staircase, the kitchen bench and many other pieces of furniture are made from those trees.

And you ended up building the house?

Richard: The idea was that I would help Mum and Dad with the planning application and get them to a point where they could hand over to a contractor, but, it’s a rural part of the country and not overly served by contractors, so we simply couldn't find anyone to build it.

I'd done a little property development, so I knew how to run a project. The principles of sustainable construction came from my background professional interest in sustainability, my renewable energy masters and a shed load of research! I also researched the design for the planning application. It was either let the opportunity go, or step in and build and project-manage it myself – it was very, very hands-on.

How was that for you Anne? Did Richard make all the decisions?

Anne: No, we had some input and general discussion, but Richard usually won my husband around.

Richard: It was a collaborative process but I did forge on in terms of the architecture and making decisions about certain features. Mum and Dad would sometimes challenge things when it was far too late. They'd ask to explore changes in the process when the ship had already sailed. I think they thought I was just being difficult!

Anne: There were family tensions but everyone was very pleased with the final home. It’s built upside down with the bedrooms on the ground floor, and I get to live in this lovely big space with the sitting room, dining room and kitchen all in one area. It’s delightful to live in.

Presumably, the view of the Northumbrian countryside was a big consideration when designing the house.

Richard: Yes, the views were always a big part of the brief – they are largely southwards but there’s a gorgeous north-facing view too. There is a large corner window in the upstairs living area, and the stone barn that runs around the corner of the garden wall has an incredible framed view as well.

Anne: It is lovely because we get the full use of the sun throughout the day. There’s also a big roof light above the staircase and, at the end of the house, there’s a balcony where you can enjoy an evening glass of wine.

Richard: The balcony is a good example of something Mum and Dad thought was a bit over-the-top in the design. It is pretty exposed up here and very windy, and we had lots of conversations about whether they’d actually use it. But on nice evenings, it’s a lovely sun trap.

There must be a great connection between the inside and outside.

Anne: Yes, I think so because the windows are so big – it feels as though you could almost walk out of the window.

Richard: The lovely thing is you can be part of the landscape but entirely comfortable within your home. Once you’ve been here a while, you forget how different it is. It’s a very comfortable space – both due to the light and the views – and so well-insulated and quiet. It’s a very calm and tranquil space.

Naturally, Shawm House is incredibly personal to your family, how do you hope the next owners will live in it?

Anne: Much the same as we have done. It's just so lovely – if you like the countryside, you couldn't ask for anything better.

Richard: I just hope that they enjoy it. It's such a pleasurable home because you can just sit here and enjoy the environment – even the acoustics play into this. My dad was very into his classical music – he was Chairman of the Northern Sinfonia and the founding Chairman of the Glasshouse International Centre for Music – and this big, vaulted ceiling has incredible acoustics. When we were letting out the old farmhouse, we realised one of the people staying was a world-class cellist. So, Dad made contact, invited them around and they came and played in the space.

How would you define modern living?

Richard: I am interested to hear how Mum will answer this!

Anne: It’s the balance of being supported by the local community and being able to be completely on your own.

Richard: Up here, I suppose it is quite simple – it’s about the landscape and the environment. It's not about mod-cons, it’s about being able to sit comfortably and simply enjoy the views.