Modern country house that won a RIBA award for design goes on sale

By Ruth Doherty 2020-07-15T11:15:47Z

An award-winning architect-designed modern house set in a leafy Hertfordshire hamlet has gone on sale for £1.7 million.

Piper's End was designed by acclaimed architect Níall McLaughlin in 2006, and he won a RIBA award for the project in 2009. Sitting in two acres of land, the spectacular home sits on a quiet country lane, yet is under an hour away from London. It's now on sale for the first time since the current owners commissioned it.

The entirely-glazed facade offers a spectacular first impression, and offers views out over the secluded garden terrace, orchard and paddock.

Shards of natural light beam in to the two-storey building, which was designed to be low-lying and in keeping with the surrounding undulating farmland.

The double-height, open-plan living room forms the centre of the house and faces the garden terrace, framing wide views of the paddock to the south.

The dining area and kitchen sit under a suspended ceiling, creating a more intimate setting. A utility space and ground-floor cloakroom are set opposite.

One of the five bedrooms is also located on this level and offers flexibility as a sleeping area, with a large bathroom adjacent, or as a secondary living space. There is also a separate study and ground level.

Four further bedrooms are arranged across the first floor, three with floor-to-ceiling glazed walls looking onto the garden.

The master bedroom is positioned on the easterly wing of the house, reached by a gallery walkway with views down over the main space.

Outside, a perforated-steel canopy shades the terrace and the concrete pond, which reflects light back into the house.

The house was conceived as five strips, characterised by different materials: a thicket of silver birch; a timber cabinet; a vitrine of timber framed glass; a loggia of steel columns supporting a perforated metal canopy and a concrete reflecting pool.

Letty Green is a pretty village with a well-regarded pub called The Cowper Arms just a stroll away. There's also a wealth of walking and cycling routes around the house for when you want a dose of that fresh country air.

Piper's End is on the market with The Modern House for £1,695,000.