An extraordinarily shaped, 'revolutionary' eco-house has been sold, in a Cotswold nature reserve, for £7.2m The 'Orchid House', which has yet to be built, is part of the Lower Mill Estate development and has been designed by Sarah Featherstone, a London-based architects firm. The house, which is perched on the side of a lake, takes a pod-like, petalled shape made of sweeping curves, inspired by the contours of the rare Bee Orchid. A private spa and artist's studio will be built within the grounds of the house, both of which will take environmentally sensitive shapes. The whole build is expected to take 3 years. Jeremy Paxton, the developer, is described as a 'passionate environmentalist and supporter of modernist architecture'. His vision is to see fifteen individual houses to be built on the estate by architects including Will Alsop, Richard Meier and Pierre d'Avoine. * Country houses for sale in Gloucestershire
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The golden retriever: The world’s most well-known dog almost didn’t exist at allThey’ve been popping up everywhere this week — on the Tube, at Christmas parties and in the news — so it feels like the perfect moment to talk about the dog breed we’re lucky to have.
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Five magnificent mansions, from a former monastery to an Art Deco wonder in the South Downs, as seen in Country LifeWonderful homes, including a superb beach home in Cornwall, all fresh on the market via Country Life.
