T
hose who have holidayed in the south west
of England will recall the feeling of
excitement as they pass Bristol and
glimpse the sea for the first time, after hours of
motorway monotony. It’s here that you find the
home of David and Lin Jones: visible only from
the sea, and standing in extensive landscaped
gardens.
Their colourful new three-storey house has
been built on a long sloping site, giving
unobstructed views over the Severn Estuary, and
appears to ‘grow out’ of its surroundings. First
time self-builders David and Lin live with their
teenage daughter, and a steady stream of
guests in the impressive property.
“We’d spent several years two miles down the
road, in a house we’d renovated,” says David.
“We had often thought about moving
somewhere more rural, and looked at several
properties, but nothing gave us exactly what we
wanted.”
The couple knew of one location which would
suit them perfectly. “We didn’t want to move
away from the area and, although we wanted a
country home, we also love sea views,” David
continues. “When a house came up for sale
nearby in a wooded valley, looking out to sea,
we moved fast, and within eight weeks we were
the new owners. We’d never done anything so
impetuous!”
David and Lin briefly considered living in the
existing house, but the six-and-a-half acres ofgrounds had become neglected and overgrown
and the building had fallen into disrepair. They
determined to design a new house which would
complement the natural surroundings and make
the most of the sea view.
Landscape gardener Hannah Genders was
consulted early in the process and confirmed
that, beneath the undergrowth, mature trees
and shrubs would form a strong framework for
the new landscaping which was to be such a
vital part of the overall project. “It was Hannah
who first suggested Baufritz to us, as she’d
worked with the company previously on gardens
for their new homes,” explains David.
As one of Germany’s first companies to
produce off-site manufactured timber houses,
Baufritz combines advanced modular
construction, sustainable materials, and
renewable sources of energy to create tailor-
made eco-friendly homes. The company’s
unique building system ensures that all materials
are natural, healthy and not harmful to the
environment – right down to the water-based
paints used.
“The principles of healthy, ecologically-
friendly, building construction have formed the
core philosophy of our company for
generations,” comments Oliver Rehm, who is
MD for Baufritz UK.
Over the years, buildings have been
constructed to increase thermal efficiency
through improved air tightness. As a result,ABOVE & FACING PAGE
Landscape gardener Hannah
Genders confirmed that mature
trees and shrubs would form a
strong framework for the
project’s new landscaping
ABOVE
The terrace gives fabulous
views over the Severn EstuaryLOW POINT
“Decision overload:
there was just so much
to think about in a short
space of time.”
–David Jonesseptember/october 2019 http://www.sbhonline.co.uk 25I