Hunsett Mill
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Hunsett mill within its idyllic landscape setting
Cristobal Palma (website) Download Original
Charred timber extension to existing mill cottage set in an idyllic setting on the Norfolk Broads
Set in a remote area of the Norfolk Broads, this holiday home is close to a busy waterway popular with boaters. As such, most people will observe the house from the water. With this in mind, architects Acme conceived the extension as a shadow sitting within the sight lines of a retained mill cottage.
Observed from this particular vantage point, the extension disappears behind the cottage. Charred Japanese oak further alludes to the shadow concept, as does the impression of insubstantiality gained by the use of frameless glazing set flush with the cladding.
The project’s roof form is a series of linked gables that unfurl behind the cottage’s pitched roof. Internally, an impression of solidity is achieved by exposing the solid timber construction. This extends to the doors, which appear as moveable sections of wall. The solid timber construction sits above a concrete plinth, a measure designed to minimize flood damage.
Data
- Begun: Apr 2008
- Completed: Nov 2008
- Floor area: 215m2
- Sector: House
- Procurement: JCT Intermediate Building Contract 2005
- CO2 Emissions: 22.26kg/m2/year
- Address: Chapel Field, Stalham, Norwich, Norfolk, NR12 9EL, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Acme
- Project architect: Friedrich Ludewig
- Client: Catriona and John Dodsworth, Joanna and Jon Emery
- M&E engineer: Hoare Lea
- Quantity surveyor: Cyril Sweett
- Quantity surveyor: Philip Pank Partnership
- Project manager: Philip Pank Partnership
- Main contractor: Willow Builders
- Structural engineer: Adams Kara Taylor