Woodsend

This was never about square metres or resale value. It was about finding peace.

Back to Projects
2022
Private Residential
Sustainability
Contemporary two-storey house with timber cladding and cantilevered upper floor, framed by trees and a wildflower meadow

Woodsend is a contemporary, Scandi-inspired home set within a private Nottinghamshire woodland, designed for low-impact, efficient living with sweeping views over the surrounding countryside.

Brief

Some clients arrive with Pinterest boards and precise room sizes. Others rock up with something far more valuable: complete trust and a vision that's more feeling than specification. Our Woodsend clients fell firmly into the latter camp, asking us to create a sanctuary that reflected their lifestyle rather than dictating it.

They loved Scandinavian restraint, natural materials, and the kind of minimalist precision that makes Marie Kondo weep with joy. But more than anything, they wanted to wake up feeling peaceful instead of reaching for their phones in a panic.

The site made their dream both possible and gloriously challenging. Three sides wrapped in dense woodland, the fourth opening to miles of rolling countryside. Complete privacy—the kind where your nearest neighbor is probably a badger—but a slope that could either make the design sing or send it tumbling into the trees.

Location

Nottinghamshire

Status

Completed

Client

Private Client

Services

Architectural Design

Planning

3D Visualisation

Project Management

Area

3,050 sqft

Aerial view of a flat-roofed contemporary house set in a clearing surrounded by dense woodland
Timber-clad two-story home wraps around a Japanese-style gravel garden with bonsai and boulders
Glass-walled house corner overlooking a still reflecting pool with a wildflower meadow and lawn beyond
Timber-clad modern house with a cantilevered flat roof, seen through a wildflower meadow and trees
Aerial view of a flat-roofed contemporary house with green roof terraces set within a wooded clearing
Glass-walled pavilion cantilevers over a koi pond, framed by tall grasses and mature trees
Contemporary house with timber-clad extension, render walls, and a reflecting pool bordered by ornamental grasses
Timber-clad two-story home wraps around a Japanese-style gravel garden with bonsai and boulders
Contemporary two-story house with timber cladding and stone chimney overlooking a large lawn framed by mature trees
Aerial view of a modern house with sedum green roofs, timber cladding, rooftop terrace and solar panels amid lawn and trees

Floating Above the Forest Floor

Rather than carving into the woodland like some architectural bulldozer, we let the building float. Cantilevered forms stretch over reflection ponds. Bridges connect indoor and outdoor spaces. The house feels embedded in its setting, not dropped onto it by a particularly ambitious crane operator.

This wasn't just about looking pretty—it was about performance that would make a Swiss engineer smile. The piled, stepped concrete base and suspended slab system allowed those sweeping cantilevers while keeping the building envelope tighter than a Yorkshire wallet.

Off-Grid, On Point

The house runs completely off-grid through solar panels, air source heat pumps, and a private borehole for fresh water. But the technology stays so invisible, even the most tech-phobic guests feel instantly at home.

Planning Permission: The Green Belt Gauntlet

Planning approval in the green belt is usually about as straightforward as assembling IKEA furniture blindfolded. But proving the design enhanced rather than harmed the landscape helped us sail through. The committee loved how the building's transparency preserved sight lines through the woodland—a rare unanimous approval that had us questioning whether we'd accidentally submitted someone else's drawings.

Architectural sketch of modern single-story residence with orange accent volume, flat roofs, and trees in background

The Art of Less Is More

Every view is curated—sometimes framing the ancient oak trees, sometimes the distant hills, occasionally the koi pond that's become more photogenic than most influencers. Rooms flow into each other through large sliding panels instead of traditional doors, maintaining that sense of openness without the awkward "where did I put the door handle?" moments.

The material palette is deliberately restrained: concrete, brushed steel, and vertical larch cladding that weathers more gracefully than most of us age. No skirting boards, no architraves—just clean lines and mitred edges that reward closer inspection (and make visiting tradespeople slightly nervous about their standards).

  • Modern floating steel staircase under construction with cantilevered treads mounted to wall, temporary support in place
  • Modern building under construction showing exposed timber roof joists, OSB sheathing, and zinc or metal roof fascia detail
  • Close-up of vertical wooden cladding panels showing natural grain texture and knots in light tan pine timber
  • Concrete block chimney rising through a timber-framed house under construction, wrapped in scaffolding
  • Concrete flue liner set into a blockwork chimney stack under construction, with OSB-clad framing behind
  • Construction site showing concrete slab foundations with block walls, scaffolding, and excavator amid rural tree-lined setting
  • Large electrical panel installation with multiple breaker boxes and exposed wiring during commercial building construction
Timber-framed house under construction with full scaffolding wrap and curved roofline, surrounded by cleared earth site
Home office with built-in wood desk, angled asymmetric shelving, and a large window overlooking a timber-clad extension

Smart Home. Invisible Tech.

Smart technology controls blinds, sound, lighting, and temperature throughout, but so discreetly you'd need a manual to find the actual controls. The house doesn't feel automated—it just feels like it's quietly anticipating your every need without being creepy about it.

"Woodsend is what happens when clients trust the process. The house is calm, precise, and deeply connected to the site; but it also reflects their personalities."

Open-plan kitchen with waterfall marble island, grey cabinetry, and glass doors opening to a garden terrace
Minimalist bedroom with built-in oak desk, white wardrobes, and view through open door to hallway
Bright bedroom suite with floor-to-ceiling windows, freestanding tub, and cream upholstered armchair
Bedroom corner with brown leather chaise lounge and framed landscape print beside an open door to an en-suite bathroom
Open-plan living and dining area with wood-slat ceiling detail and full-height glass doors opening to countryside views
Open-plan living space with marble dining table, matte grey kitchen island, and skylight above
Living room with corner sofa framed by full-height glass walls opening to gardens on both sides
Living room with grey sectional sofa opens via full-width sliding glass doors to a patio and lawn
Upper-floor hallway with glass-and-timber stair balustrade framing a full-height window over green countryside
Bedroom suite with white bed, textured feature wall, open wardrobe, and a freestanding tub visible through an adjoining glazed bathroom
Bathroom with glass-enclosed shower, wall-mounted toilet, stone tile, and a white ladder towel radiator
Wine cellar with wood-and-metal diamond racks filled with bottles surrounding a central display shelf
Dark powder room with wall-hung toilet, cluster pendant lights, and a floating vanity beneath an oval brass-framed mirror
Split view of a timber-clad garden terrace and a soft blue-green hallway leading to a bedroom
Abstract figurative painting above a beige sofa, with a view through an open door to a bright living area
Floorplans
Architectural line drawing of a ground-floor plan showing bedroom, living, dining and two-car garage layout
Architectural floor plan showing bedrooms, bathrooms, staircase, and an outlined future expansion area
Client Feedback

"JSA have been very friendly and helped us throughout the entire process. They assisted with creating our designs, offered ideas we hadn’t even thought of, and guided us through the complex planning and building stages."

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