With an exacting approach to materials, finish, and energy efficiency, this recently completed four-bedroom house has been designed by architect George Dawes and lies in a quiet rural position in Nether Compton, on the Dorset-Somerset border. Set in private gardens surrounded by open countryside, a series of beautifully light living spaces flow freely across a storey; a calm interior combines a pared-back material palette and an excellent quality of natural light. Constructed to be zero-net carbon in use, the house is both contemporary and sensitive to its rural setting.