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Designing in the countryside is never just about the building. It is about the land, the views, the materials, the construction method, the local economy, and the long-term story a project is trying to tell.
Where the scheme is a rural holiday home, planning permission is rarely won on design alone. The story has to hold up on three fronts at once: a sound planning strategy, real sensitivity to the landscape, and a clear commercial case.
That is what makes The Ridge such a compelling project. A new exclusive-use homestay in the Malvern Hills, it is the work of Peter Markos of Markos Design Workshop.
Following our earlier conversation with Peter on tiny homes, we are returning to rural design at a larger and more complex scale. The focus shifts from compact countryside living to planning permission for rural holiday homes, off-site construction, and the challenge of designing something distinctive without making it intrusive.
The result is a conversation about far more than holiday accommodation. It is about how thoughtful architecture can help landowners unlock the potential of rural sites without eroding what makes those places special in the first place.
Drawing on Peter's experience as both an architect and the operator of a successful countryside retreat, we explore what it really takes to design a distinctive rural homestay: from planning strategy and landscape sensitivity to material choices, sustainability, construction methods, and commercial viability.
Last time we spoke, we explored tiny homes in the countryside. How did The Ridge first come about, and how does it build on the Monocoque Cabin?
The Monocoque Cabin is a unique architectural structure, a small cabin that we rent out on Airbnb. It garnered considerable interest both as a work of architecture and as a place to stay.
That demonstrated something critical: the importance of unique design in the commercial success of an exclusive-use homestay. The more unique the design, the more likely it is to be rented out, and the higher the customer demand.
That concept has informed The Ridge, a proposed four-bedroom homestay, but the principles have stayed the same. Uniqueness is critical, and so is good design.
The Ridge is being approached as an exclusive-use homestay rather than a private countryside house or traditional holiday cottage. Why was that distinction important from the beginning?
The distinction between a custom home and a holiday home is quite critical from a planning perspective.
In a lot of National Landscapes, it may be very difficult to gain planning permission for a new custom home. In some cases, it is frankly impossible. Paragraph 84 can be a good route on certain sites, particularly where the proposal is being advanced as an isolated home of exceptional architectural quality, but it does carry risks and challenges.
It is a subjective policy, and much depends on the site, the design quality, the planning case and, ultimately, the judgement of the local authority or planning committee.
Paragraph 88, on the other hand, may provide a more appropriate route where the proposal is genuinely a rural tourism or leisure project rather than a conventional new dwelling in the countryside. It supports rural business growth, rural diversification and sustainable rural tourism development, provided the proposal respects the character of the countryside.
That does not mean any isolated holiday home will automatically be acceptable. You still need a robust planning case, a clear business rationale, evidence of demand, and a design response that is sensitive to the landscape.
But for a unique holiday accommodation scheme that forms part of rural diversification, Paragraph 88 can sometimes be a stronger and more realistic route than trying to present the project as a private custom home.
In this instance, we worked with the client to refine the project brief. They liked the idea of keeping their existing home on the same site and having a separate holiday home, which they can periodically use themselves as well as rent out to generate a second income as they move towards retirement.
You mentioned that planning for a custom home and planning for a holiday home are often confused. Where do people usually get this wrong?
Where people often go wrong with planning is the misunderstanding that a holiday home does not require planning permission at all, or that it automatically comes under permitted development.
I have read several articles online making this claim, and I would say that is almost certainly not the case.
Do not assume the planning classification of your site based solely on an article you have seen online. Either check yourself and be sure of it, or speak to a professional architect or planning consultant who knows what they are doing and can guide you accordingly.
It is a complicated system, and misinformation does not help.
What does a strong rural tourism planning case need to demonstrate beyond simply saying, “This will bring visitors to the area”?
Paragraph 88 supports diversification of the rural economy. However, the burden of proof that it genuinely supports rural tourism is quite high.
You need a business plan, proof, and a demonstration of the level of demand that is actually required. You cannot just buy a plot of land and claim rural diversification. It does not work like that.
For example, let’s say you want to build a unique homestay. Are there any ways of accessing the homestay other than by car? Are there walking, cycling or bus routes nearby?
All of these are important considerations that the council will weigh before determining whether they would actually support the planning application.
With the proposed C5 short-term let use class still not in force, is there too much uncertainty around holiday homes and short-term lets?
I do not understand why the C5 class has not been integrated.
For context, for people who may not know, planning for a holiday accommodation is currently subject to either C1, C3 or sui generis, depending on the scheme, land and local authority. C5 was proposed under the last government, but as of yet, it has not been included in a revised NPPF.
As such, there is currently way too much vagueness around holiday lets. Some people do not know whether they need planning permission. They almost certainly do. However, they do not know which planning routes they need to follow.
C5 would help clarify this confusion.
What practical advice would you give to landowners before they choose between planning permission for a holiday cottage, a holiday let, a custom home or another rural tourism route?
I would say do a feasibility study. You will be best served by that.
Part of the feasibility study would look at which part of the site is most likely to get planning approval, along with other key considerations.
This is one of those things where you need to go slow before you go quick. If you assume too much about what is likely to get planning permission, or whether the proposal falls under C1, C3 or sui generis, that will cause problems later on.
Do not just jump into one option. It could be a holiday home. It could be a custom home. Each carries its own pros and cons, and it is really important to make an informed decision.
The Malvern Hills are a highly sensitive landscape. How did the topography shape the form of The Ridge?
The Malvern Hills have a very distinct stratification and gradient, so designing a structure that worked with the landscape was key.
From the high point, the proposed building is designed to read as a single-storey homestay. However, where the ground descends and the home benefits from a certain sense of privacy, it widens against the landscape and reads as a two-storey space.
The proposal is designed to use stone, silvered timber, copper, hemp insulation and a planted roof. How did you balance countryside holiday home design with the need to avoid visual intrusion?
It is about responding to the gradient, but also the material palette of the place.
This was made easier by the site’s location in the Malvern Hills, which has a quite distinct material palette, particularly Malvern stone, which is a vernacular and local source material that blends naturally with the surroundings.
Silver timber also works well against the stone in the local context. Copper was chosen as perhaps not the most obvious material, but what we loved about it is that it reflects the surroundings through the lustre of the material. This means that the homestay looks different throughout the day.
We also used hemp as an insulation material because it was key in making the space feel natural. There has been a lot of research around the off-gassing of synthetic materials and plastics used in buildings, and we really wanted to avoid synthetic materials.
You refer to the “hundred-year test” in the project description. What does that mean in practice?
The hundred-year test is something we strive to achieve on all our projects.
There may be a slight increase in upfront cost in terms of materials and construction, but over the long term, the work can actually become significantly cheaper as well as better.
This approach is very much based on the economic theory of “Boot Theory economics”. The basic premise is that a person who buys a more expensive pair of leather boots might keep those boots for more than twenty years, whereas someone who buys a cheaper pair of trainers may only have them last a couple of years and require replacement.
It is very much the same with how we design, and we think this is also our approach to sustainability: consideration of longevity over expedience.
It is quite sad to see buildings that are only ten to twenty years old knocked down. This is quite common in the West Midlands, where we are based. I would argue that something like St Paul’s Cathedral or the Pyramids represents the ultimate example of buildings achieving sustainability.
You are not only the architect, but also the operator of a successful countryside rental. How has that changed the way you design holiday accommodation?
It means I can genuinely empathise with the commercial constraints and realities of running a rural holiday accommodation business. I have a sharp sense of what actually matters in a unique holiday home design.
Take The Ridge: the sauna has been designed as part of the main structure rather than bolted on as an add-on. From experience, an intervention like that pays for itself quickly, because demand for sauna spaces is so high. That is exactly why we wanted it built into the main structure.
The other advantage of running a rural homestay business is the constant feedback from guests who have stayed at the Monocoque Cabin. The technical term is “post-occupancy evaluation”, and this level of it is genuinely rare. On most domestic projects, continual feedback like this is almost unheard of.
We are learning, almost daily, how to make things better.
The Ridge will be largely manufactured off-site and assembled on the hillside. Why can off-site construction for holiday homes be so useful in sensitive countryside locations?
There was not one reason we opted for off-site construction. Like many things, it involves a range of reasons.
The client lives on-site and was quite concerned about the constant construction work ongoing. There are planning restrictions around how long construction can take in the local area, plus working hours restrictions. And as we know in the UK, winter can be extreme, especially in recent years, with significant rainfall.
Modern methods of construction and off-site building made sense. Off-site construction is also how we work as an architecture practice. It is our background. We have operated this way for years.
Off-site construction offers more certainty on cost, allows greater control of the timeline, and allows for greater quality control. Things are made in a factory with controlled lighting, controlled heating and a dry environment. A lot of the work is done by machines.
One of the biggest challenges, and I hope we have got it right, is designing the space so it does not look like it was designed in a factory. That is often the case with factory-built homes.
The use of real, organic materials such as stone, hemp insulation, silvered larch and copper means the space does not look factory-designed or factory-built. I feel we have got this right on past projects.
Finally, what would you say to landowners deciding whether to pursue a custom home, a holiday home or a more flexible rural tourism concept?
Do not let the tail wag the dog.
This will likely be one of the highest expenditures you will ever make, and I am constantly shocked to see decisions made on a whim that are later heavily regretted and become quite costly.
If you are yet to purchase a site, it is worth speaking with a good architect who can guide you through the possibilities of the land you are looking to purchase.
Know the opportunities in front of you before you commit to one route.
Start your countryside holiday home journey
What a fascinating exploration of rural holiday accommodation, sensitive landscape design and the planning strategy behind carefully considered countryside retreats.
From rural diversification to off-site construction, material choices and the commercial realities of running a holiday home, we have covered a huge amount. A big thank you to Peter for sharing his brilliant insights once again.
Whether you are considering a unique countryside retreat, an exclusive-use homestay, or a rural tourism project that may help diversify an existing landholding, it is clear that success depends on much more than simply having a beautiful idea.
The strongest projects are carefully thought through from the beginning. They respond to their landscape, understand their planning route, make a clear commercial case, and use design to create something memorable without losing the character of the place.
If you would like to learn more about The Ridge, the Monocoque Cabin or sustainable countryside homes more broadly, don’t hesitate to reach out to Peter and the Markos Design Workshop team.
