The authors of the project, David Chipperfield Architects, submitted for publication only one photo of their building and not a single drawing.
The house is located in Buckinghamshire, in the Chiltern Hills area: this chain of densely wooded chalk hills is protected by the state as "an area of outstanding natural beauty", which, on the one hand, imposes restrictions on construction there, on the other, makes this area the most attractive for those who wish buy expensive housing in the vicinity of London. Due to the landscape protected by the authorities, new houses are rarely allowed to be built there, but in this case the customer - developer Mike Spink, who built the Feiland House for himself and his wife - was lucky: this site had a house of no architectural value from the beginning of the 20th century, surrounded by garages, greenhouses, etc. (eight buildings in total) and banal, "suburban" landscape design. They were allowed to be demolished, and in their place there was one house with an area of 888 m2.
The one-storey building is inscribed in the depression of the relief, resembling a dam on the upper edge of the valley, to which it faces the main, southeastern facade. It is closed by a loggia with 11 powerful columns, which serves as a transitional space between the environment and the interior. Due to the in-depth location of the house and its actual "one-facade" nature, the premises that do not go out onto the loggia (public areas face there) are grouped around four courtyards with a lowered floor level. However, they still form a suite.
Feiland House is built of white, specially ordered Hebrok bricks with the same shade of lime mortar. The mortar was used more than usual, and the excess was rubbed with a sponge on the surface of the masonry: this gave the effect of the integrity of the volumes and surfaces, including the columns erected from the same brick. The floors are concrete, the floor is covered with terrazzo.
The landscape design has become much more natural and includes a forest plantation and a field of wild herbs and flowers, approaching the loggia itself. To keep it in optimal condition, the owners of the house bought a small herd of Dexter cows (this is one of the smallest cattle breeds), which will graze there.
The jury of the international AR House Awards noted that David Chipperfield proposed an original solution for both a luxurious villa (without the usual pursuit of catchy effects and innovations) and an English country house (courtyards are a new word in its centuries-old history), as well as for buildings in the security zone: Feiland House does not try to merge with the terrain. At the same time, one cannot fail to note the somewhat ponderous classical allusions that have become a standard technique for this architect in recent years, as well as the general similarity of his building to a bunker. However, the "dual purpose" of the villa is not reported.
