Country


Hoe Cross Barn



 
It is a pleasure when clients with whom you have worked get back in touch for another project. In this instance, following on from their Notting Hill mews house we were tasked to help find the perfect country property. After disregarding a number of sites, the perfect fixer-upper was found, deep in the Sussex Downs, in the guise of a collection of old barns needing a lot of love. Using a palette of paired-back natural materials, including salvaged timber and crisp glazing. These disparate agricultural volumes were transformed into a peaceful and nurturing family home. A contemporary rustic complement to the modern aesthetic of their London mews. 
Photography: Alexander James



White Walls - Sussex







This 1969 'chalet' bungalow is in a sailing village in West Sussex. The brief was to create a family weekend house as an antidote to London living.

The term 'chalet' is derived from the Indo-European root 'Cala' meaning 'shelter' and the original overhanging gable roof of the structure had an affinity, in shape if not in materials, with this form. During the redesign the external walls were retained, the roof space was opened up, rooms reconfigured, a double height living space with mezzanine formed and windows relocated. Replacing the existing elements with a simple palette of raw and natural materials the house successfully captures light and draws nature into the house via framed views of the South Downs.
  





Flint Barn

This project in West Sussex sought to utilise the footprint of a historical agricultural building to provide a family games room and link to the existing converted barn. Textural brick and flint walls formed the boundary of the single-volume extension with clerestory glazing giving views of the fields and the harbour. The connecting double-height entrance hall has a simple palette of cross-sawn timber and in-situ shuttered concrete complemented by an 18th-century Spanish bench. The splashes of unexpected red, reference the traditional colour of the farm building windows. 
Photography: Alexander James










Lytham St Annes

Having been delighted with the result of the contemporary transformation Lab made to their Victorian London home, the clients for this project decided to demolish their house in the picturesque seaside town of Lytham St Anne's, Lancashire, and commission, in its place a thoroughly modern house. The scheme employs a beautifully detailed material palette of brick, larch and slate. Its revised orientation is configured around two external courtyards, one attracting the morning sun and one attracting the evening sun. Around these courtyards, the key living spaces have been articulated and framed views of the gardens created.





Bosham Sailing Club balcony  

Founded in 1907 in this historic harbour village, Bosham Sailing Club has occupied its current location on the quay since 1956. Once a Mill House, the Grade II listed building is believed to date from the 18th Century. The club is a thriving community facility, providing year-round activities focused around, but not exclusively, relating to sailing. For a couple of decades a‘temporary’ marquee had been erected in front of the west elevation to provide additional accommodation. As the temporary marquee aged, it had become tatty and unsightly, and obstructed the view of and from the sailing club. 
Initial ideas regarding the feasibility of a project to replace the marquee, were first discussed during Bosham Junior week 2020.  As a grade II listed building within Bosham Conservation Area, it was necessary to consult with many stakeholders prior to making the planning and listed building applications. Public meetings to discuss the proposals were held in the club.