homebuilding.co.uk 189“The lane is very narrow and we couldn’t get
big enough drills in,” says Paul. “The small drills
kept breaking and it took ages — there was a lot of
disruption for everyone.”
The distinctive three-pitched roof, with its fully
glazed gables (above), is supported by a continuous
exposed ring beam, and appears to levitate above the
single-storey extension.
“The ring beam is a ring of steel formed from
inner and outer steel channels,” explains Stan. “It
is welded as one continuous piece and is propped
uponthemasonrywhereit meetsthewalls,oron
steelcolumnswhereit meetsthefull-heightglazing
—all the walls and glazing goes up to the underside
of it. Between the two steels is a void to take the
heads of the sliding doors and the fixed glazing so
that no frames are visible. The glazing for the gables
also runs into these voids, leaving a very crisp, clean
visual line.”
Internally, the underside of the pitched roofs
has been clad in European redwood, curved at the
eaves and ridges to reference the rolling waves. The
pitches also add definition to the open plan layout of
the extension, which includes living spaces, kitchen/
diner and, accessed down several steps, the plant
and utility spaces, along with a shower room within
the entrance rotunda, lit by a glazed ceiling.
“Thespacesweredesignedtogetmoreextrovert
asyoumovetowardsthesea,”saysStan.“Andmore
introvertthefurtherawayyouget—you can move
in and out, a bit like the tide.”
These new spaces all look out to sea through an
expansive swathe of full-height fixed and sliding
glazing that wraps around the rear elevation, with a
selection of terraces set over varying levels, all either
sheltering or embracing the elements.
“We have a saying in the office: visual simplicity
equates to constructional complexity,” concludes
architect Stan. “If any house exemplifies this maxim,
it must surely bethisone.”
“The house worksbrilliantly,”addsPaul. “It is a
fabulous house—just wonderful.”