Coastal House, Bamburgh

Located in the shadow of Bamburgh Castle, this site is rewarded with sweeping seascapes from the Farne Islands to the east, north to Lindisfarne, and with rolling moorland in the opposite direction.  The village boasts award winning beaches, the resting place of Grace Darling and the former seat of the Kings of Northumbria.  The site lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and adjacent to the Bamburgh Conservation Area.

A contextual approach was crucial in this sensitive location.  The brief called for the demolition of the existing house to make way for a new modern home that incorporated some serviced accommodation as holiday lets.  The concept was to create a house in two halves with circulation at its core.  The clients apartment is placed within the southern section, with the rentals occupying the north.

Mass, scale and a consistent approach to fenestration are key in creating harmony with the neighbouring properties.  The paired gable solution diminishes the bulk of the new building, creating a well mannered scale, whilst a basement is recovered from the ground as it falls steeply to the road.  Additional floorspace is released without exceeding the boundaries dictated by covenants or the height of the adjacent structures.  Finally, the temptation for extensive areas of glass is resisted.  Instead, a few well positioned windows are orientated to capture specific views.  The static landmarks are reserved for the holiday lets, whereas the apartment focuses more on seascapes and landscapes.  These kinetic vistas have more long-term appeal since they are kept in a constant state of flux by the ever-changing patterns of weather.

Since the views improve, becoming more expansive with height, the layout of the apartment is reversed.  Bedrooms are placed on the lower floor whilst the open plan living areas occupy the roof volume and extend into sheltered terraces.  The gable ends are fully glazed to allow the seascapes and the landscapes in the opposite direction to be enjoyed from any point.  A roof top jacuzzi enjoys the best panoramas of all.

The first designs were well received by the Local Planning Authority and by the Environment Officers.