Exmoor Replacement Farm Cottage By: Louise Crossman Architects Situated on a farm within Exmoor National Park near the North Devon Coast, our clients wanted to replace their old farm cottage with something more energy efficient and in keeping with 21st century living. We were approached to design this for them, ideally in a different location on the farm from their existing home and to help them obtain planning permission. Obtaining permission was never going to be a straightforward process! The main challenge was to find a location for the new home that worked for our clients and also with Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA) planning policy. Building outside the ‘domestic heart’ of the farm was not acceptable to the ENPA, and policy dictated that the new house should have no, or at best a low, impact on the landscape. After a lengthy process of considering various locations and designs, and discussions with our clients and the planning officers, we finally reached a solution that met with the approval of ENPA, and also worked for our clients. The old cottage, which was of poor quality and did not ‘contribute to the visual amenity of the area’, could then be knocked down … Continue reading Sustainable Design Meets Exmoor Heritage