Mill House and Maker’s Workshop, River Test, Hampshire

Project Info

This redevelopment of a historic water mill on the River Test in Hampshire celebrates the relationship between architectural heritage, creative workspace and natural landscape.

The project enhances a 17th-century, Grade II-listed dwelling with a new timber-framed artist studio and maker’s workshop, while respectfully extending the existing home. As well as adding a new garden-facing living and dining room, the project provides two flexible, light-filled environments for creative production.

Situated in a Site of Special Scientific Interest with a rich industrial past, the architecture responds to this dual character with utilitarian forms referencing the site’s milling history and natural materials that harmonise with the waterside setting.

Both the extension and the new workshop-studio are united by a shared architectural language of exposed timber structures with overhanging roofs. Inside, the spaces are functional and uplifting, with thoughtful architectural moments that elevate the experience beyond simple utility.

Locally sourced and reclaimed timbers feature prominently throughout the project. UK-grown, heat-treated sycamore has been used to clad the buildings, while a covered veranda constructed from weathered jarrah railway sleepers extends the workspace outdoors and grounds the building into its landscape.