In pictures: Clay Rise

The three-bedroom house with its striking curved and tiered roofline is a characterful and idiosyncratic contemporary take on the traditional handmade brick and hanging clay-tile buildings in the quaint village of West Hoathly.

Heatherwick alumnus Andre Ford and his wife, stylist Jessica Templeton Ford, launched their practice in 2025, and this, their first project, was shortlisted for the Manser Medal. Clay Rise embodies many of the pair’s passion’s: craftsmanship, high quality materials and a strong sense of place. It is a highly site-specific build on a plot next door to Andre’s childhood home. 

The three-storey house was constructed from a prefabricated timber frame system in two weeks. The skin is made of local bricks, made from the same seam of Wealden clay on which the house sits. West Hoathly had a long history of brickmaking until the Ibstock works there shut in 2020.

The rear of the house is lowered 1.5m into the hillside, which enables a split-level arrangement of floors. This allows the house, which was designed as a multigenerational family dwelling, to function as two independent spaces: a self-contained two-bedroom apartment on the ground floor, with the main living quarters above.

Inside, walls are lime-plastered, with exposed timber and stone floors. There are curves everywhere, echoing the shape of the roof. A curved CNC-cut staircase leads to the main living space. More curves are echoed in joinery, handmade plastered wall lights, and rooflines in the main living area and primary bedroom suite.

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Passive environmental strategies informed both the form and detailing of the building. Clay Rise is oriented to optimise solar gain and shading, with a deep south-facing window that allows low winter sun to penetrate while limiting summer overheating. The central stairwell acts as a thermal chimney, drawing warm air upwards to help maintain comfort year-round. The house is heated by an air-source heat pump, which is complemented by high levels of insulation. The kitchen is second-hand and offcuts from the timber frame were repurposed on site as custom joinery.

The house is designed with maximum adaptability in mind. Key services like underfloor heating, lighting circuits and wiring have been designed to accommodate evolving multigenerational needs. Meanwhile the main bedroom can be split in two to create an additional bedroom, and living areas can function independently for family members, carers or lodgers. 

Andre Ford said, “Clay Rise has allowed us to explore ideas we have been collecting for many years. We sought to produce a home that is entirely of its place, through a deep understanding of its context and local craft traditions.”