Letter from the Architect: ARC Painswick

ARC Painswick was the first in what’s become a growing collection of reimagined country houses – a project rooted in the belief that historic buildings can be both preserved and transformed to host meaningful, modern gatherings.

When we found the property, it was two separate houses awkwardly merged, their interiors fragmented into a maze of dark corridors and dead ends. Our aim was to open it up – to reveal its history, clarify its structure, and design a plan that invites sociability.

The result is a continuous, enfilading layout: a loop of rooms that connect one to the next, without hallways or breaks. At the centre, a fully glazed courtyard brings daylight deep into the house. Every room but one looks onto it, creating a theatrical, multilevel relationship that makes even quiet moments feel connected.

The new kitchen extension serves as a careful piece of stitching – uniting the historic wings and offering a light-filled centre for gathering and cooking. It connects the courtyard to the garden, drawing guests naturally through the house.

We uncovered and celebrated what we could: exposing Cotswold stone walls to let the building breathe; restoring a medieval spiral stair hidden behind a cupboard; and retaining the small confining door at its base – a modest but characterful remnant of the house’s earliest fabric. One of the 4m-high chimneys was rebuilt entirely, and a new air source heat pump now powers the underfloor heating and pool with minimal environmental impact.

Every bedroom features bespoke oak furniture, designed to echo the timber beams that run throughout – a quiet rhythm of material and craft that ties old and new together.

We hope you enjoy exploring the house as much as we did.