Sandy Rendel Architects completes Monkton, a modern rural house in West Sussex

Sandy Rendel Architects has completed Monkton, a four-bedroom house in Cuckfield, West Sussex, on a former brownfield site. The London-based practice designed the residence with soft red clay bricks, lime mortar, and precast concrete elements, featuring a rectangular plan and mono-pitched copper roofs. Three internal staircases lead to first-floor bedroom towers, each with its own roof angle, creating an asymmetric silhouette. The house spans nearly 330 square meters, including a garage and annexe, with living spaces set over multiple levels and higher ceilings toward the garden. Energy-efficient features include an air source heat pump, high insulation, and planned photovoltaic arrays. The project, developed in collaboration with the client who oversaw construction, began during the pandemic and reflects a long life/loose fit strategy. It joins other recent works by the studio, such as a barn in the South Downs and the award-winning Bury Gate Farm. Landscape design is by Studio Stour.