8 May 1, 2022The Sunday Times
Home
has resulted in an impeccably
designed, biophilic eco-house.
It was described by Grand
Designs’ Kevin McCloud as
an “aquatic Eden” that’s “a
symbiosis, not a tug of war,
between humans and nature”.
“Creating a special home
in a naturally breathtaking
location that promotes a
healthy way of life for the
family, environment and the
surrounding biodiversity
was what we aspired to
achieve and, despite a
myriad of hurdles during
the build, we’ve hit the sweet
spot in more ways than weI
magine sliding back
your kitchen doors
and diving straight into
a tranquil, natural
swimming pond to
start the day with an
invigorating freshwater dip,
before cycling the children to
school, enjoying a leisurely
dog walk in an area of
outstanding natural beauty
and then returning home to
be immersed in a creative job
you love.
After a day’s work the
only pressing questions are
whether to spend the evening
relaxing in the wood-fired hottub, jump into the motorboat
to explore the beaches and
creeks of magical Chichester
Harbour, or step up the pace
— just a little — to head out
for a family jaunt on the
paddleboards.
Sounds idyllic? Well, this is
exactly the lifestyle that the
architectural designer Dan
Rowland and his wife, Nina,
an interior designer, dreamt
about when they were living
in London.
And after three years of
hard graft and determination,
this tenacious couple’s
gruelling self-build journeyZEN
OUT OF TEN
Is this blissful biophilic new-build one of Grand
Designs’ best-ever homes, asks Janet McMeekin
STUDIO FUSE; PETER TARRY FOR THE SUNDAY TIMESLAND COST
£810,000