Ozone was granted permission through Paragraph 55, an extremely rare clause which allows permission under the condition that the property “reflect the highest standards in architecture”.
The second Paragraph 55 house to feature in Country Life this year – named for the clause in planning policy allowing homes of exceptional design to be built in rural areas – one-of-a-kind Ozone will be built on the idyllic slopes of Pitch Hill, between the villages of Ewhurst and Shere, in the Surrey Hills.
Spanning 15,030sq ft, the six-bedroom, six-bathroom, ‘eco-concrete’ property is designed by architect Burrell & Mistry. Set in 22 acres of private grounds with far-reaching views of the South Downs, it will incorporate an indoor pool, a gym and a cinema, as well as a sky room and roof garden.
The Sky Room is of particular note, based on the work of renowned American light artist James Turrell and designed as a room ‘for contemplation’. This opens to the roof terrace and catering kitchen.
Ozone’s site sits in an AONB, thus the unusual Paragraph 55 planning cause was called into action. In order to use this cause, the proposed dwelling must ‘be truly outstanding or innovative and ‘reflect the highest standards in architecture’. Paragraph 55 properties are extremely rare, with permission having been granted to only about 100 nationally since 1997.
Already nominated for an award in the 2017 World Architecture Festival, the architect said of the build: ‘our design is conceived as a flowing concrete structure, the complex curving geometry of which suggests an on-site moulded process… the building creates new gently flowing contours on the site that generate a fluid interaction between the building and the landscape, with large glazed areas reflecting the natural setting.’
Cranleigh is only four miles away and Guildford 10. Hiking, cycling and riding trails are literally at Ozone’s doorstep, with easy links into London via Guildford station in under 40 minutes.
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