Characterised by a distinctly innovative approach to rural living, this multi-RIBA award-winning home is set in the wide-open Buckinghamshire countryside bordering the village of Great Horwood. Chris Bannister, a director at the acclaimed architectural practice Hopkins Architects, and Barbara Dunsire added a cross-laminated timber and red-brick extension in 2011 with a modern interior treatment, a sympathetic response to the local vernacular, pairing a robust material palette with the patina of 19th- century foundations. Extensive landscaped gardens unfold to the rear, and a generous courtyard and private driveway extend from the front façade. Regular rail services from nearby Aylesbury connect to London Marylebone in under one hour or from Milton Keynes to London Euston in around 35 minutes.