Secular Retreat, a house in South Devon, England

Monolithic Masterpiece

This is the seventh house built for Alain de Botton’s Living Architecture project, property rentals designed by the world’s leading architects to promote, educate and enhance the appreciation of modern architecture through stays in exceptional spaces. This monolithic house took 10 years to complete and was designed to be a celebration of the landscape. With its dense walls, generous glazing, and elemental form, the house is a study of light, space and shadow.

The home's rammed concrete walls were created in daily layers, each stripe in the structure representing one day’s work of compressing concrete with lime, cement and water. Oversized windows offset the massive structure, bringing lightness, transparency, and a direct connection to the gentle English countryside. Regionally quarried Blue Lias limestone floors were sized to fit a bespoke pattern and painstakingly templated on site. And the home’s interiors, including most of the furniture and lighting, were specifically designed by Zumthor for this house.

The five-bedroom property is constructed on a single level, with two sleeping wings, one with two double bedrooms, the other with three double rooms, joined by a central living space entered under a massive cantilevered concrete roof supported by five architectural columns, three internal and two external.

Enclosed in glass and dramatically transparent, the open-plan living area includes an original kitchen design, a lounge area with a fireplace, a library and several seating areas and custom created furnishings including the wooden dining table and the upholstered chairs. Woods used include wenge, maple and pearwood and there’s a semi-hidden writing desk nook in a beautiful picture window.

Each double bedroom has an ensuite bath and floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the immediate gardens and green valley below. Wind-scaped, 20-meter-tall Canadian Monterrey Pines surround the house, and the property’s private hilltop setting offers expansive views across Devon and out to sea. The house is walking distance from the pretty footpaths along the southwest coast, and there’s a hexagonal patio behind the kitchen.

Around

Located in one of England’s most famous holiday regions, the home is an outdoor enthusiast’s delight, with walking, sailing, windsurfing, fishing, riding, golfing and beach combing opportunities abundant. It’s a short stroll to some of the finest coastal walks in the South West region, and the home offers views out to sea, which is about one mile away. Bakers, butchers, fishmongers and shopkeepers are all walking or easy driving distance from the property, the nearest hamlet being Chivelstone and the largest, Kingsbridge, about 10 kilometers away.

Within a few kilometers of the property are some of England’s prettiest beaches, including Lannacombe (4km), Beesands, Gara, East Portlemouth (5km), and Slapton Sands (9km) in the Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve. The Great Mattiscombe Sands at Stokenham (6km) are close to the 28-meter-tall Start Point Lighthouse. Dartmoor National Park is the destination for hikers, cyclists and naturalists who can explore the rugged moorland known for its ancient stone circles and wild horses. Water sports (kayaking, paddleboarding, cruises) are available on the nearby River Dart, which flows into the sea in the town of Dartmouth some 25 kilometers away. It's a town worth a visit for its 14th-century fortress, narrow medieval streets, colorful houses and longstanding maritime history. The coastal village of Salcombe is about 30 minutes away, offering a picturesque harbor and a handful of charming waterfront eateries.