Beach House

Having laid vacant for its entire life, the brief for this small site was to form a family dwelling comprising 3 bedrooms and living areas to enable the client and their family to live directly fronting the beach.

Their brief comprised a contemporary new build dwelling of high specification and materiality which harnesses the beach front views whilst turning its back on the busy main road to the North.

The footprint takes cues from its immediate neighbour in terms of aligning & mirroring building lines, widths and setbacks. In addition, the frontage is articulated at the western end to match the stepping forward of the neighbour and completing the articulated street grain.

The ground floor layout comprises 2no. off road parking spaces with bike and refuse storage and an entry point which opens into a lobby and is centred on views south through the middle of the plan.

The kitchen / breakfast space is positioned on the east side of the plan for morning sun with sea views, the living and dining spaces on the south and west of the plan again, harnessing sea views, local and distant and midday to evening sun. The shower room is positioned to the north of the plan to form an acoustic buffer to the busy road and the stairwell is located at the extreme west end to provide long sea views and connections whilst circulating through the house as well as a visual connection at first and second floor levels back over the main road, the aim to orientate the user throughout their vertical journey.

The upper floors comprise 3no. bedrooms with en-suites to both east and west sides of the plan with a small study landing area and links to outdoor south terraces.