Twin Peaks

With spectacular views of Wembury Bay and within walking distance of the beach, this house was calling out for a bit of extra space and a better connection to its surroundings.

This was the house that Jon grew up in, so part of the brief was always to keep something of the original house, without the cramped space or discomfort in the face of gale force winds. That coupled with the need for the house to sit comfortably within a rugged sloping landscape and the delight the family had in seeing the ‘white’ cottage shape from the beach, gave rise to rebuilding the thing as a pared-back original with a new darker, shadowy, twin. The two sit side by side facing the coast line, with a 1.8m gap between them.

The separation allowed us to slip-in the circulation necessary for the 4 bedroom layout centrally, and helped to defined zones within the more open ground floor, but more importantly left space for the landscape to permeate the building. Allowing views from the front door to the sea, this space creates a sense of connection to the surroundings and draws you through the house.

The two volumes have an intuitive relationship with their surroundings, recognisable as a simple repeat of volumes they offset comfortably against the wonderful disorder of the scenery. In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, great care was taken to ensure that the forms and materials were appropriate and complimentary to the surroundings.

The extension was built as sustainably as possible with appropriately oriented openings, timber frame with as much insulation as the budget would allow and on a shoestring; many of the finishes being kept and upcycled from what was removed from the old house.