Merricks House / Aktis Architects

The design of this project was a journey of discovery. The original concept was half submerged in the rise of the landscape. As the concept navigated all the challenging conditions of the site/environment and budget, a contradictory strategy emerged. There seemed no reason to hide the building in the landscape. It was located in a rural setting, not in a natural forest. The building took on a monumental form of materiality and structure, anchored with unapologetic strength of presence into its landscape.