The client is the inheritor of a 700 year family estate which has needed a new business enterprise to maintain financial viability. The project is to use the Grade 2* house and grounds for weddings. As part of this they require effectively a new ballroom where they can host 150 for dinner and dancing. The acoustic performance of this building has been the key driver, which, in conjunction with the acoustic engineers, has lead us to proposing a rammed earth structure with very thick walls. The building is sited at the back of the main house and has been carefully integrated with the landscape to form part of a living hedge.