The Sunday Times May 1, 2022 9Although Dan and Nina were
aware that undertaking such
an ambitious project
on a tight budget
wouldn’t be
straightforward,
they could never
have foreseen
the challenges
that lay ahead.
“I’d imagined
that the pool would
be our biggest
hurdle,” Dan says. “In
fact, removing 500 tonnes of
sludge before creating the
swimming pond paled into
insignificance when my father
passed away in 2019, Nina’s
parents were diagnosed with
cancer and the Covid-19
pandemic struck.”
Despite this traumatic
emotional rollercoaster Dan
often worked alone, late into
the night by torchlight, forging
ahead with the three-storey
house, built from structural
insulated panels (SIPs) and
clad in Siberian larch.
Meanwhile Nina was caring
for a newborn and toddler
while overseeing FormRoom
via Zoom calls and ensuring
she brought her stylish “no
bling” design to fruition.
“I wanted the interior to
complement and echo the
exterior by injecting a
laid-back vibe, incorporating
a natural, earthy palette and
textural materials to create
depth and a homely feel,”
Nina says. “I was determined
that our home would be
grounded yet stimulating.”
This fusion of skill sets,
expertise and passion for
meticulous attention to
detail has culminated in a
project that’s not just an
excellent showcase for
Studio Fuse’s specialist
biophilic design, but has
also been widely acclaimed
as one of the best episodes of
Grand Designs.
“While designing the house
and its surroundings, my
mantra was to create a happy,
healthy, vibrant yet calming
environment for my family
and friends,” Dan says. “As
Kevin McCloud commented,
‘It simply joins together
nature and architecture and
in every sense, therefore, is
beautiful.’
“The response from the
public and clients has been
phenomenal. After the
programme aired we received
requests from people wanting
to do something similar.
Without exception visitors
gaze around in a Zen-like state.
After all our hard work it’s so
satisfying that our home gives
so much to those who
experience it.
“Rather than being in
London for our creative hit,
we’ve now brought it here, to
this enchanting part of the
world. We are fully embracing
every aspect of our new home
and lifestyle.”studiofuse.co.ukThe Rowlands will be at stand
P4F at Grand Designs Live at
the Excel Centre this weekendcould have ever imagined,”
says Dan, 44.
The entrepreneurial duo,
who together run an
architectural/design practice,
Studio Fuse, instantly hit it
off when they met at a wine
bar in 2011.
“When Dan mentioned he
was renovating a rancid
basement flat in Notting Hill,
his enthusiasm, indomitable
attitude to the project, design
— and life in general — were
highly exciting and extremely
attractive qualities,” says Nina,
42, who also owns FormRoom,
a global interior design
agency. “I felt that I’d found
my soulmate.”
With Dan’s one-bedroom,
one-bathroom flat cleverly
reconfigured into a luxurious
three-bedroom, three-
bathroom home, the
Rowlands headed off on their
honeymoon, having married
in 2013.
“Renting out our flat while
we were away not only more
than paid for an unforgettable
trip to Tanzania and Kenya,
it also opened our eyes to
possibilities for the future,”
Nina says.
Fast-forward three years
to the birth of the couple’s
first daughter, Isla, now seven.
Her arrival prompted soul-
searching conversations about
relocating, and they pooled
talents to design and build a
family home with an intrinsic
relationship to nature.
“We wanted more space,
freedom and control of our
environment and destiny,”
Dan says. “As we both
adore swimming and water
sports and have an affinity
with the sea, we craved
coastal living.”
While visiting friends in
West Sussex, the Rowlands
stumbled on Bosham — a
historic harbourside
village renowned as
one of the most
photogenic
locations on
the south coast.
The pair
instinctively
knew this
unspoilt area was
the perfect place to
start their search.
As luck would have it, the
Rowlands quickly discovered
a one-and-a-half-acre plot a
stone’s throw from Bosham
foreshore that had been
languishing on the market for
two years. This comprised a
neglected 1930s house and an
overgrown paddock with a
large pond.
“We realised that the pond
had put off many prospective
buyers,” Dan says. “However,
taking the philosophy of
always drawing from an entire
site’s potential, I could see
nothing but opportunity. I
knew I could create a special
family home that would
connect and indeed enhance
its beautiful setting.”
Two weeks later, when the
couple arrived for a viewing,
they knew they had come
home. “We felt an instant deep
connection and began
visualising how to make this
plot, on the fringes of a site of
special scientific interest, work
for our family,” Nina says.
At one point during the
viewing Dan crouched down
at the edge of the stagnant
pond, mesmerised by the sun
shimmering on the water.
“That was the defining
moment,” he says. “I neededto orientate the house in such
a way that it would benefit
from the quality of light
coming off the water, and
give the illusion of a home
floating hypnotically over
a crystal-clear, natural
swimming pond.”
In 2017 Nina — who was
pregnant with their second
daughter, Lexi, now five —
and Dan moved into the
draughty, damp house that
they planned to knock down
once their new dwelling was
completed. Then, inspired
by their surroundings,
travels and the relaxed
feel of this unpretentious
coastal area, they began
designing a contemporary
five-bedroom house.
“I’ve always had a
deep-rooted interest in how
architecture and nature
affect people’s mood and
behaviour,” says Dan, who
grew up on an organic farm
and studied psychology and
then architecture. “There’s no
question in my mind that
getting the balance of biophilic
design right has a positive
impact on the wellbeing of
a property’s occupants. It
should be immersive,
creating a palette that offers
opportunities to bring nature
straight to you.”
It was, therefore, a natural
progression for Dan to design
a sustainable home that has
an interwoven relationship
with the environment. “One
of my main influences was
memories of our visit to a lush
forest spa in Thailand, where
walkways snaked through
waterfalls, plunge pools and
ponds covered with lilies. This
embodied what we wanted to
recreate here.”I knew I could
create a special
family home that
would connect and
indeed enhance its
beautiful settingMain: the home
in West Sussex.
Inset: a bird’s
eye view of the
home. Above: the
Rowland family
on the natural
swimming pond.
Left: the bespoke
staircase. Below:
the kitchenBESPOKE
STAIRCASE£18,000
TOTAL
BUILD COST£658,000
BoshamThe ElmsChichesterChichester
Harbour AONB2 miles