Peralta House

Stan Bolt, Devon, 2005

 

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View of entrance 

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  • View of entrance    
  • Glass enclosure, terminating the first floor living space     
  • Exterior view of open living space above the more-enclosed ground floor    
  • The rear of Peralta in context, facing south-west towards moorland    
  • Living space bridge to terrace    
  • The bridge over the pond leads to a spacious entrance hall. The children    
  • Ground floor dining/living/play space    
  • Detail of stair    
  • Context plan    
  • Site plan    
  • Ground floor plan    
  • First floor plan    
  • Section    

Set on a ridge above Torquay in Devon, this family house faces south-west over moorland and north-east to the sea on a long, sloping plot

The house replaces a bungalow, the footprint of which is preserved mainly in the horizontally emphasised layering of the two levels and the box-like cantilevering of some of the upper spaces. The lower level is rendered blockwork; the upper level is lighter, timber-framed.

The long site is little wider than the house, so that while there is a sculptural stair tower at the front, the external appearance is more of two-dimensional elevations - two abstract compositions of front and back.

The north-easterly front is relatively closed, with most of the windows on the first floor. This is the side overlooked from across the narrow road where neighbouring houses, though set lower than Peralta, now block the sea view from ground-floor level. So the main formal living space, with its views, is on the upper floor.

Data

  • Begun: Nov 2002
  • Completed: Feb 2005
  • Floor area: 223m2
  • Sector: House
  • Total cost: £300,000
  • Tender date: Sep 2002
  • Procurement: JCT Minor Works
  • Address: Maidencombe, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 4TD, United Kingdom

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