This design for this rural three acre site links intrinsically to the landscape, the family and what the site means to them.

We were most excited by the local wildlife - deer, hare and pheasant wandering freely - and were inspired by the nearby hillside chalk figures of Cerne Abbas Giant and the Osmington White Horse.

As an old hunting lodge, deer have a particular significance to the site. To create a connection between the design and this beautiful animal we have taken the form of an antler to create the layout for paths and tracks across the site. The shape creates organic flowing forms that may not be visible from ground level, but like the chalk figures, suggest a sense of scale and a natural structure to the way you move around the site.

Planting across the wider area will be predominantly native species helping to create a feel that they have always been there. It will include a perennial meadow, a Hazel coppice wood and a multi-layered forest garden for foraging. The challenge of deer resistance will be an essential part of planning the planting.

Other key elements of the design include open space for games, a brace of Shepherd huts, an outdoor bath, a writer’s hut and deck for sun bathing and star gazing. All materials will relate to the attached woodland and existing geology of flint and chalk to ground it firmly in its beautiful surroundings.