2025

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House Forme

Nestled in the heart of Exeter village, House Forme is a contemporary pavilion-style residence that balances privacy, openness, and a strong connection to its surroundings.
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House Forme, Exeter village

Nestled in the heart of Exeter village, House Forme is a contemporary pavilion-style residence that balances privacy, openness, and a strong connection to its surroundings. The design unfolds as a series of three pavilions, carefully positioned around a private central courtyard that acts as the heart of the home. A defining element of the composition is a recycled brick blade wall that runs through the dwelling, providing a sense of enclosure, shielding the courtyard from the street, and creating a layered journey through the spaces. The house is not just a dwelling but an experience, defined by its axial planning and carefully framed vistas. Every movement through the home is considered, leading the eye along sightlines that reveal moments of nature, light, and texture. These axial relationships establish a rhythm, guiding inhabitants through an interplay of solid and void, compression and release, enclosure and openness. The result is a home that feels both grounded in its rural setting and expansive in its spatial experience.

Project Team

Architecture: Tony O’Meara + Kalpana Sagar

Planning: AO Design Studio

Basix Certificate: Application Solutions

Wastewater: Civil and Structural Engineering

Geotechnical Engineer: Civil and Structural Engineering

Structural Engineer: Residential Engineering

Hydraulic Engineer: Residential Engineering

Builder: Birdy Homes

Photography: Neil Fenelon

A Home Defined by Three Pavilions

The layout of House Forme is deliberately structured to offer separation between functions while maintaining a sense of cohesion and flow. Each pavilion serves a distinct purpose, yet the connections between them are effortless and intuitive, reinforcing a sense of spatial clarity.

The eastern pavilion is dedicated to rest and retreat, housing four bedrooms, including a private master suite with a walk-in robe and ensuite. This wing is oriented to capture morning light, ensuring a soft and natural start to each day.

The central pavilion is the heart of the home, comprising an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area. Expansive glazing allows this space to extend seamlessly into both the northern garden and the private courtyard to the south. A central fireplace anchors the space, providing a sense of warmth and intimacy within the otherwise expansive volume.

The western pavilion accommodates a formal lounge, a spacious home office, and a well-appointed laundry with direct access to an outdoor drying area. The garage, an extension of this wing, offers flexibility, designed to house either three cars or provide a combination of parking and workshop space, depending on the occupants' needs.

While the internal spaces have been designed to be comfortable and highly functional, they are intentionally not oversized. Every square metre is carefully considered, ensuring that the home remains intimate and inviting while still generous in its proportions.

Materiality and Architectural Language

House Forme is a home that is at once modern and deeply connected to its rural context. A restrained material palette allows the architecture to speak through texture and craftsmanship rather than ornamentation. Recycled brick, timber, and metal form the foundation of the design, selected for their durability, warmth, and ability to age gracefully over time.

The blade wall, constructed of reclaimed brick, plays a pivotal role in defining the architectural language of the home. Acting as both a physical and visual spine, it provides privacy where needed while also serving as a backdrop for light and shadow to interact throughout the day. Its materiality speaks to a sense of permanence and history, grounding the otherwise lightweight pavilions in the landscape.

Inside, timber linings and bespoke joinery create a warm and tactile environment, softening the robust exterior. The interior palette is intentionally subdued, allowing natural light to shape the experience of the spaces. Large-format windows and doors ensure that every room has a connection to the outdoors, whether it be the curated central courtyard, the lush northern garden, or the distant rural landscape beyond.

A Journey Through Space: Axis and Vistas

At the core of the design is an emphasis on movement and experience, shaped by a deliberate use of axis and framed views. The home is structured along a primary circulation spine, with key sightlines extending beyond the walls to capture moments of landscape, materiality, and light. The effect is one of discovery, where spaces reveal themselves gradually, and each turn offers a new perspective.

This axial approach ensures that the courtyard is not merely an enclosed outdoor space but an integrated part of the home’s spatial experience. It becomes a moment of pause, offering a sense of calm and respite, particularly when viewed from within the living spaces. The positioning of openings along these axes allows for framed views that extend the perception of space, blurring the distinction between inside and outside.

Sustainability and Climate Responsiveness

Sustainability is embedded in every aspect of House Forme, from its material selection to its passive design strategies. The pavilions are positioned to maximise northern sunlight, ensuring that living spaces are bathed in natural light throughout the day while minimising heat loss in winter. Carefully designed overhangs provide shading in summer, reducing the need for mechanical cooling and enhancing the home’s energy efficiency.

Cross-flow ventilation is a fundamental principle of the design, with strategically placed openings allowing fresh air to move naturally through the home. This passive cooling strategy minimises reliance on air conditioning, creating a more comfortable and energy-efficient indoor environment year-round.

The use of high-performance glazing, thermal mass in the form of the recycled brick wall, and high levels of insulation further enhance the home’s sustainability credentials. These elements work together to create a stable internal climate, reducing energy consumption while maintaining a high level of comfort.

Water conservation is also a key consideration, with rainwater harvesting integrated into the design for use in irrigation and household water supply. The landscaping, featuring native and drought-tolerant plantings, further reduces the environmental footprint of the home while reinforcing its connection to the local ecosystem.

The Experience of Living in House Forme

House Forme is designed not just as a place to live, but as a sanctuary that evolves with the rhythms of daily life. The connection between spaces fosters a sense of togetherness, while the considered placement of private zones ensures that there is always a retreat when solitude is desired.

The home is as much about its outdoor spaces as it is about its interiors. The central courtyard serves as a tranquil, sheltered retreat, providing a microclimate that enhances the overall comfort of the home. Meanwhile, the northern garden acts as an extension of the living spaces, creating a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors.

From the first moments of entering the home, a sense of calm and clarity is established. The journey through the spaces is one of discovery, guided by light, materiality, and carefully framed vistas that reveal the landscape in unexpected ways. Whether experienced during the quiet solitude of the morning or in the warmth of a gathering around the central fireplace, House Forme is a home that offers a richness of experience, deeply attuned to both its occupants and its environment.