KENT BEACH HOUSE

A concept for a beachside house with framed panoramic views

WALMER

The proposal seeks to create a new family eco-home on the site of an annexe, on the site of a former residential care home. The concept was inspired by the traditional black fisherman's huts found in the local vicinity.  The design of the two-storey building is intended to be a simple volume, both in composition and materiality, featuring a simple gabled, two-storey volume without any projections. The entrance area is cut into the volume to provide a sheltered access point. Likewise, the balcony is carved into the volume rather than extruded outwards, adding to the simplicity of the form. 

The location of the windows has been considered with respect to overlooking and privacy of the neighbours. There is only one window on the north-facing elevation to retain privacy with the main building, a crafted and considered formation of fenestration, to remain sympathetic to the existing site conditions.

Black coloured timber cladding makes up the majority of the materiality, a versatile, natural cladding, allowing different textures to be created. Also being used to create permeable timber screens, allowing for light to penetrate but providing a greater degree of privacy. Slatted shutters allow the ground floor windows to be closed up, creating a more solid mass, like the fisherman's huts. The design is rooted in the local vernacular and examples of traditional fisherman’s huts can still be seen nearby on Kingsdown beach. The scheme seeks to act as a contemporary response to the historic buildings of the local area, deeply rooted in the towns rich history of fishing.