The house created by Peter Zumthor was designed and built for “Living Architecture“, in South Devon.

Secular Retreat Guests enter beneath the massive overhang of the cantilevered white concrete roof. As they move through the fully glazed large open-plan living area, the beauty of this remarkable location and interior becomes apparent. The magnificent views are best enjoyed from bespoke armchairs perfectly positioned to become transfixed by the procession of clouds moving across the South Devon landscape, and watching the sun set over the valley below. However, the writing desk, situated in a semi-hidden nook, may just have the best view, an intimate place for contemplation and putting one’s thoughts onto paper. The living area is where guests come together to prepare food in the thoughtfully designed kitchen, eat at the large dining table or gather around the fireplace. When in need of some privacy, for an afternoon nap or a soak in the timber bath, they can choose from five generously sized bedrooms each with an en-suite bathroom. Each bedroom takes advantage of the stunning location, with full-height windows onto the nearby gardens and landscape. Wake in the morning to see birds of prey scouting the valley below, take a coffee into the east garden, settle on a bench with a book or take a stroll among the Monterey Pines surrounding the house. Secular Retreat is a very special house that must be experienced to appreciate the insight and sensitivity Peter Zumthor and Living Architecture have brought to this breath-taking landscape. Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has completed his Secular Retreat – a Living Architecture holiday home designed to celebrate the landscape like the villas of his hero, Andrea Palladio. The house, which has been more than 10 years in the making, is Zumthor’s first permanent building in the UK. It is located on a hilltop in South Devon, England, where it commands an impressive view of the surrounding countryside. Zumthor designed the house to be built from concrete rammed by hand – a technique that gives stripes to the walls, both inside and out. The thickness of this material is revealed by the large, deep window openings, designed to take full advantage of the setting. Secular Retreat is the seventh house built for Living Architecture, a property rental company set up by writer Alain de Botton to offer people the opportunity to rent a house designed by a renowned architect. It was actually one of the first to be commissioned. But it took far longer to be completed than any of the others, which include MVRDV’s Balancing Barn, John Pawson’s Life House and A House for Essex by FAT and Grayson Perry. One reason for the long delay is the level of detail and craftsmanship that went into the building. The rammed concrete walls had to be created in layers – each line marks a day’s work – while the limestone floors were designed in a bespoke pattern, tailored exactly to suit the dimensions of every slab that came from the quarry. Every broken slab resulted in a rework. The layout of the house is very simple, all organised on one storey. There are two wings – one containing two bedrooms, the other containing three – and each bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom. Where the two wings meet is a generous living space, including a bespoke kitchen, a lounge area surrounding a fireplace, plus a couple of quiet seating areas where occupants can enjoy solitary activities like reading or listening to music. Almost all of the furniture was designed by Zumthor, including the wooden dining table, seating upholstered in purple fabric and camel-hued leather, and the small pink stools in the bedrooms. Overhead, the concrete roof sits appears to hover just above the concrete columns, raised by a concealed steel structure within. Its surface is coloured by the wooden formwork that the concrete was cast against – an effect that Zumthor said he hated initially, but has grown to love. The building sits on the site of a demolished house from the 1940s. A few details from the old property remain – a hexagonal patio beyond the kitchen, and a set of Monterey pine trees that are now 20 metres tall. But Zumthor claims his house will age much better than its predecessor: “This building frames view and celebrates the place, the old building did not.“ The first permanent building by renowned Swiss architect Peter Zumthor in the UK. Interiors, including furniture and lighting designed by the architect specifically for this house. Private hilltop location with expansive gardens and views across Devon and to the sea. Within a short stroll to some of the finest coastal walks in the South West. Farm shops and fishmongers selling locally caught and produced food. For up to ten guests of all ages. Five bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. Positioned on a lower level within the garden, Secular Retreat is partly concealed behind the reinstated natural field boundaries. Only as guests approach along the sweeping pathway is the full extent of this extraordinary house revealed.