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A house designed around courtyards, soft light, and slow views.
Set along the River Test in Houghton, Hampshire, Chalk River House is a new-build home that feels rooted from the start. Designed by Oliver Leech Architects, the house is arranged around two internal gardens—one planted with ferns, the other as a walled kitchen garden. From these courtyards, the rest of the plan unfolds. Three distinct volumes step back from the river, gradually opening the house to the landscape. The front presents a more traditional form to the village, while the rear slips into a softer, contemporary expression that leans into the views.
Inside, the house centers on an open-plan kitchen and dining area, flanked by quieter rooms: a snug, a drawing room, a study. Floor-to-ceiling and corner windows frame the river directly, not as background but as part of the experience of daily life. There’s a sense of both openness and protection—spaces expand into the view, while still feeling sheltered by the massing and internal courtyards. The circulation threads through double-height volumes and stairwells that bring in natural light and draw the eyes upward.
Material choices carry the project’s quiet clarity. A simple, natural palette was used both inside and out: handmade Roman bricks, clay plaster, lime render, and zinc. Internally, the effect is soft and textured—contemporary, but without harshness. ON&ON shelving systems were selected for several rooms, offering flexibility without compromising the clean architectural lines. Caroline and Simon, the homeowners, describe the home as a balance of traditional form and modern light. What began as a search for a Georgian house became, unexpectedly, something else: a home built from scratch, fully connected to its setting.
