michaelis boyd collaborates with soho house on oxfordshire farmhouse retreat

michaelis boyd collaborates with soho house on oxfordshire farmhouse retreat
all images courtesy of soho farmhouse

soho house & co’s in-house design team has collaborated with london-based architecture practice michaelis boyd on the development of soho farmhouse, a countryside retreat located in an oxfordshire village. the scheme includes 40 individually-designed cabins assembled around the site’s original farm buildings, complemented by the addition of new buildings. michaelis boyd worked alongside the soho house design team on the main barn, boathouse, gym, yoga studios, cinema, and the steam and sauna island.

the boathouse incorporates a 16 meter indoor pool

an 805 square meter barn is located at the heart of the farm, providing a place for guests to gather for drinks and food. the large volume has areas of glazing that allow morning and evening light to flood into the central space. to the east and west of the building, gable ends allow indirect natural light into the mezzanine dining areas, as well as into the central bar and dining area at ground floor level.

a balcony and glazed canopies provide views over the courtyard, lake, boathouse and gym. walls are finished in timber board that was reclaimed from a previously demolished barn. cobbled stone flooring is used on the ground floor and reclaimed timber floorboards on the mezzanine levels. crittall-style glazing has been incorporated, as well as reclaimed chicken-wire corrugated glass for the terrace roof covering.

the outdoor section of the pool is surrounded by decking

the boathouse incorporates a 16 meter indoor pool that extends to a 25 meter outdoor deck-level pool. the pool hall was designed to replicate the feel of a working boathouse and the specialist pool finish has been selected to resemble the cotswold stone used in the surrounding buildings. the boathouse comprises a series of interlinked structures that are staggered to reduce the building’s visual mass. the basement level houses a spin studio, changing facilities, steam and sauna room and ancillary plant rooms.

the scheme includes 40 cabins assembled around the site’s original farm buildings

externally, the ‘electric barn cinema’ is clad with corrugated metal, and low level painted brick. internally, the 390 square meter screening room is fitted with velvet armchairs and individual tables with lamps. as with the original electric cinema in portobello, london, individual cashmere blankets are offered for extra comfort. herringbone floorboards line the lobby floor, alongside checkerboard porcelain floor tiles in the common areas, and carpet in the screening room. the screening room walls are clad with walnut veneered paneling and acoustic fabric walling.

the volume has areas of glazing that allow morning and evening light to flood into the central space

the steam, sauna and ice room pavilions have been designed to resemble a series of self-built huts. the steam and sauna rooms are separated by a glazed roof walkway, leading to two raised hot tub platforms that open out to the privacy of the old upper mill pond. to the north, the decking connecting the island to the cowshed building lowers and floats above the lower mill pond level, forming a jetty for rowing boats.

the location provides a communal place for guests to gather

a bar is found at the center of the room

gable ends allow natural light into the mezzanine dining areas

a balcony and glazed canopies provide views over the courtyard

the screening room is fitted with velvet armchairs and individual tables

the steam, sauna and ice room pavilions have been designed to resemble a series of self-built huts