Viola Hill, Steep Viola Hill, Steep Petersfield Viola Hill is a carefully considered replacement dwelling in Steep, near Petersfield, set within a tranquil rural landscape on the edge of the South Downs National Park. The scheme replaces an existing, unconventional house with a contemporary home inspired by traditional agricultural barn forms, using a restrained palette of charred timber cladding to ensure it sits quietly within its woodland setting. The new dwelling is arranged as a L shape, simple structure that follows the natural contours of the site, allowing it to visually recede into the tree-lined backdrop while maximising views across the surrounding fields and hangers. Internally, the house is designed as a playful and flexible family home with open-plan living spaces, integrated play features, and a strong connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. The ground floor is centred around a large open plan kitchen, dining and living space, complemented by pantry, utility room, a cinema room, boot room, WC, a guest suite and double bedroom, allowing for flexible family living and future accessibility. The first floor is largely open to the roof structure to create a sense of volume and light, and contains three en-suite bedrooms and the master suite. Landscape and ecology are central to the design approach, with extensive native tree and hedgerow planting, wildflower meadow creation and biodiversity enhancements including bat and bird boxes. Sustainable drainage through soakaways and rainwater harvesting improves on-site hydrology while supporting wildlife. The project also places strong emphasis on dark skies and rural tranquillity, with minimal external lighting and carefully controlled internal light spill.
