Petersfield House

Contemporary Living in a Historic Market Town

Petersfield House is a large, contemporary family home located within the Petersfield Conservation Area and the South Downs National Park. The brief was to create a modern four-bedroom house that respected the scale, proportions and architectural character of its surroundings while providing generous, light-filled spaces for contemporary family life.

Drawing inspiration from the town's Arts & Crafts heritage, the design reinterprets traditional forms and materials through a refined contemporary language, creating a home that feels both distinctive and deeply connected to its setting.

Designed for Family Life

The house is organised around a dramatic double-height entrance hall, where a sculptural floating staircase forms the heart of the home. From this central space, the layout unfolds into a series of flexible living areas that balance openness with moments of privacy.

Large open-plan kitchen, dining and living spaces extend directly onto landscaped terraces and gardens, creating a seamless relationship between inside and out. Dedicated spaces for work, entertaining and relaxation ensure the house responds effortlessly to the changing rhythms of family life.

Upstairs, bedrooms are arranged around the central void, with generous glazing and carefully framed views bringing natural light deep into the home.

Materiality

A carefully composed palette of Hampshire stock brick, timber, zinc and glass gives the house a timeless yet contemporary character.

The masonry base anchors the building within the streetscape, while lighter materials above introduce warmth, texture and visual depth. Together, they create a layered composition that references the craftsmanship and proportions of the surrounding Arts & Crafts architecture without directly imitating it.

Contemporary Architecture with Lasting Character

Petersfield House demonstrates how contemporary architecture can sit comfortably within a historic context through careful consideration of scale, materiality and proportion.

Rather than replicating traditional architecture, the design draws upon its underlying principles to create a home that is unmistakably modern while remaining respectful of its surroundings. The result is a spacious, elegant family home that enhances both its setting and the experience of everyday living.