Set amongst a historic Wiltshire village of Ansty, this rural house is radically sited on a steep slope and overlooks a collection of 12th century buildings. This Mid-Century house featuring a studio designed by famous Brutalist architects Alison and Peter Smithson has undergone an extensive renovation by London studio Coppin Dockray.

Ansty Plum was originally built in 1962 by architect David Levitt, and then extended by Smithsons in the early 1970s. Coppin Dockray, cofounder Sandra Coppin and her husband bought the property, which was then significantly in bad shape and had seriously deteriorated. The intervention of the property involved underpinning the building to improve its stability, renewing surface finishes throughout, installing central heating for the first time and adding extra insulations and double glazing so that it was suitable for both winter and summer months.

In terms of interiors, the architects aimed to reinterpret the original stone, zinc and timber details shown in the original Smithsons’ drawings. The architects described their approach as “preserving the spirit of this building, without compromising its functionality”.

Project – Coppin Dockray | Photography – Brotherton Lock and Rachael Smith