CASE STUDY
Rural Office for Architecture, MacDonald Wright Architects
Cardy Construction Limited
Telephone: 01993 833155
Winner of the RIBA House of the Year Award 2017, Caring Wood is a contemporary residential home that has clear links to the rural vernacular of its location. The brief to executive architects Rural Office for Architecture and MacDonald Wright Architects was to create a multi-generational family home, that allows spaces for intimacy and privacy, as well as places for congregation.
The building’s most prominent features: the four sculptural towers, were designed to emulate the kilning hops in the region. Internally, these towers create ascending channels in need of natural light. The inclusion of rooflights onto these towers was essential to the design to deliver shafts of light into the spaces below.
Over several months, as the project progressed, our design team, were on hand to develop the design of the five Plateau Rooflights, with their hybrid design, combining the traditional baseplate of The Conservation Plateau, with the sleek, edge-to-edge glazing of the Neo Rooflight.
Owing to the varying angles of the rooflights, the final effect of the internal aesthetic is dramatic, with light-filled spaces that create their own moving works of art, changing each day depending on the weather, the sky above and the position of the sun.
Photography by James Morris.
This project gallery would showcase the dramatic sculptural towers, the rural Kent context, the hybrid Plateau Rooflights and the interplay between heritage references and contemporary geometry.
The collaborating architect practices approached The Rooflight Co having created a prototype 3D model of the desired design. Meeting on site with our design team, we supported the architects as we collaborated on the integration of rooflights into the roof structure. At this early stage, technical expectations were set, including critical thermal performance requirements aligned with carbon neutrality targets.
Over several months, as the project progressed through the RIBA plan of work stages, the dedicated design team at The Rooflight Co developed the design of the five Plateau Rooflights. These hybrid designs combined the traditional baseplate of the Conservation Plateau Rooflight with the sleek, edge-to-edge glazing of the Neo Rooflight. Together with one Neo Rooflight, the complete set fulfilled the top-lighting requirements for the site, including a solution for the Estate Cottage separate from the main residence.
Achieving whole unit U-values of 1.1 W/m2K, the resulting configurations included laminated inner glazing panes within triple-glazed units, along with a unique anodised brown frame colour-matched to a sample provided by the architects. These finer details, paired with site-specific installation drawings, ensured the vision was delivered with exacting accuracy.
The culmination of the building’s form, materials and rooflights is a striking high-end residential home with both grandeur and sympathetic integration in equal measure. Each element was skilfully crafted and expertly installed by Cardy Construction Limited.
The varying angles of the rooflights create dramatic internal effects, with light-filled spaces that shift throughout the day as the sun moves. The uniquely pitched roofs capture sunlight in a distinctive manner, bouncing light against the crisp white rendered walls and down into the inhabited spaces below, where family of all ages gather and generations meet.
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Meet the experts behind this project – our dedicated team who brought this vision to life.
Passionate about properties of distinction, Phil understands the delicate balance between preserving the integrity of historic buildings and delivering high-quality, high-performing natural top lighting solutions. With exacting standards, Phil recognises that prestigious properties require not only superior products but also a bespoke service that supports every stage of the project. Collaborating closely with our Design Engineers, Phil advises on some of our most complex and highly confidential projects, where discretion and sensitivity are paramount both nationally and internationally.
Kathryn is a skilled Design Manager who combines creative thinking with practical engineering insight. Grounded in realistic and achievable design principles, she brings clarity and innovation to even the most complex rooflight challenges. Passionate about delivering exceptional results, Kathryn is committed to ensuring your specification requirements are not only met—but exceeded. With extensive knowledge and hands-on experience in natural toplighting solutions, she is a trusted partner throughout the design process. Her approach ensures that every solution is thoughtfully designed, high-performing, and tailored to the unique needs of your project.
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