Carriage House
Carriage House is a unique three-bedroom coastal home, conceived as a contemporary reinterpretation of a distinctive piece of local architectural history.
At the end of the 19th century and into the 1930s, it was relatively common for disused railway carriages to be repurposed as seaside bungalows. Two carriages, without their wheels, would be transported to a building plot by horse and cart and positioned either side of the site, typically on timber railway sleeper foundations. The space between them was then roofed over to create a generous open-plan living and dining area, while the long, narrow carriages were subdivided into kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms. Original carriage doors often provided access to these smaller spaces. From the outside, the carriages were frequently almost unrecognisable. Additional layers of rendered clinker blockwork or corrugated sheeting were used to protect the timber structures from the harsh coastal environment.
More than a century later, the original carriage construction had reached the end of its practical life. Repairing and maintaining these buildings, while attempting to heat poorly insulated spaces, is increasingly difficult and uneconomical. Carriage House takes the spirit of this ingenious early form of prefabrication and repurposing and reinterprets it for contemporary family life.
The completed home retains the fundamental idea of the original construction: a generous, open-plan living space sits alongside a series of more intimate cellular spaces, conceived as a contemporary interpretation of the railway carriage. A double-height living and dining space forms the heart of the home, with the kitchen, bedrooms and supporting accommodation arranged within the adjacent timber-framed element.
Externally, timber cladding and corrugated sheeting reference the materials and utilitarian character of the original carriages, while internally the timber structure is expressed through simply detailed glulam rafters and beams. The result is deliberately contemporary but rooted in the history and character of the site.
A particularly important part of the story was the ambition to give the project a genuine connection with railway history. The original carriages were intended to be gifted to a local steam railway for use in the restoration of its historic rolling stock. Unfortunately, the railway enthusiasts were ultimately unable to take the carriages. Rather than losing that connection entirely, a section of one of the original carriages was carefully incorporated into the new house, creating a distinctive space divider between the lounge and dining areas. It provides a tangible fragment of the site's history within the finished home.
The project was made possible by an exceptionally close collaboration between the clients, contractor and architect. During the construction stage, the clients were deeply engaged in the interior design process, contributing their own ideas for internal finishes, colours and fixtures. The contractor then brought these ideas to life with an exceptional level of care and craftsmanship. This collaborative approach has resulted in a home that feels highly personal and considered.
Sustainability was also central to the project. The completed house achieves exceptionally high levels of airtightness and thermal insulation, contributing to an A-rated EPC and significantly reducing the energy required to heat the home. The combination of a highly efficient building envelope, considered material choices and careful construction has created a comfortable, low-energy home without compromising its character or architectural ambition.
Completed in spring 2026, Carriage House is ultimately less about recreating the past than learning from it. The original seaside carriage houses were pragmatic examples of reuse, adaptation and off-site construction. This home takes those principles forward to create something entirely new: a unique, highly sustainable and deeply personal coastal home.
Most importantly, it is a home that works for the people who live there. The clients could not be happier with the finished result, and the success of Carriage House is a testament to what can be achieved when client, contractor and architect work closely together from concept through to completion.
