Ken Shuttleworth was a founding member of Foster + Partners and the architect behind London’s distinctive Gherkin tower. Now he’s listed the Wiltshire home he designed for himself. Crescent House, in Compton Bassett, is listed for £3 million via Knight Frank.
Photography: courtesy of Knight Frank
Photography: courtesy of Knight Frank
Photography: courtesy of Knight Frank
Set within more than four acres of Wiltshire countryside, Crescent House takes its name from the two curved forms that shape both the building and its landscape. Completed in 2010, the house draws on the geometry of Wiltshire’s prehistoric monuments, with references to nearby Avebury and Stonehenge. The plan is organised around a pair of sweeping crescents. One is formed by a solid concrete wall backing the bedrooms and private spaces, while the other has a curved glass façade opening the living areas to the landscape.
A double-height gallery runs through the centre of the house, leading to a large garden room where the kitchen, dining and living spaces sit beneath a continuous curve of glazing. White concrete walls, clerestory windows and a monumental fireplace define the interiors, while banks of glass frame views across meadowland, woodland and the Marlborough Downs.
Outside, a circular wildflower meadow enclosed by maple trees echoes the ancient forms that inspired the design. A pond, orchard and woodland avenues are woven through the grounds, which were designed to sit lightly within the setting.
