Seaside House - GS-ARCHITECTURE

We were commissioned to design a new home to replace an existing dilapidated 1950’s house. The design had to take full advantage of the exquisite setting between the sea to the south and the South Downs to the north. As well as a strong connection to the outdoors we wanted to give the house a sense of solidity and robustness appropriate to its exposed coastal site and to the owners’ conviction that this was to be their family home for the rest of their lives.

The design is conceived as a raised two-storey volume set on a landscaped plinth. The upper floors, clad entirely in flint, contain all of the principle living accommodation and the simple rectangular plan and hipped roof echo the forms of neighbouring buildings. The pale grey field flint cladding is in perfect harmony with its surroundings and engenders a sense of place and permanence. Viewed from the sea the house appears to be almost an extension of the beach – a mound of pebbles into which are inserted a series of crisp concrete objects and precise window openings.

The house was constructed as a reinforced concrete shell, water proofed and insulated externally and clad with an outer skin of natural flint and brick. One of the benefits of this form of construction has been to create a huge thermal mass making heating in winter highly efficient and obviating the need for any mechanical cooling in the summer months.

RIBA Regional Award Winner 2012