A subtle play between openness and solidity
Sandy Rendel Architects for private client
Contract value: £690,000
GIA: 257m²
A fantastically bold response to the site which is bounded by the river on the west and the main road and cliffs to the east. Facing the river is the long elevation with its expansive glass, while more protected elevations face the busy road. The gables and handmade ash-glazed brickwork, traditional to the town, help it to tie in well with the street.
The main body of the house is a simple two-storey pitched roof structure but with a ridge line that is carved away to break down the building’s scale and reflect the cliff contours behind.
The rugged in situ concrete retaining walls of the river bank morph into slightly more refined board-marked concrete on the ground floor, which gives way to Corten rainscreen cladding above. Simple inventive moves such as reversing the way the Corten sheets are hung create a subtle play between openness and solidity.
Regional Emerging Architect Award