Northshore lies on a magnificent site on Hayling Island with water frontage and slipway onto Langstone Harbour.

The existing house is one of a cluster of four distinctive 1930s modern movement houses. All four share a distinctive “DNA” of white rendered walls, flat roofs and dark framed metal windows. Two are Grade II Listed and designed by architects Connell, Ward and Lucas in 1934 and among the earliest examples of domestic reinforced concrete construction in the UK.

The brief was to create a high quality, contemporary family home that responds sensitively to this special waterside location, a design which is robust, future-proofed and sustainable. The replacement buildings will provide additional floor area on much the same footprint as the existing but with dramatically improved thermal performance and energy efficiency.

The beach pavilion will provide a springboard for activities on and off the water and a place to embrace the beautiful harbour and large garden. The annexe building to the south of the house will provide a garage, plant room, garden store and two guest apartments. The garden will be lawn with informal wildflower and grassy borders with new and mature trees.

The new house will retain and enhance the striking architectural character of the existing with white render walls, horizontal bands of glazing and glass-to-glass corner windows. The annexe will also be in white render with a green roof planted with wildflowers and grasses. The second floor roof pavilion and beach pavilion will be clad in contrasting black glass panels which will reflect the sea, trees and sky acting as a counterpoint to the matt white render.

The ground floor of the house will comprise three interconnected living spaces along the north side each with a distinct identity. To the east will be a media room, in the centre a lounge and to the west a large kitchen / dining room. All three spaces will have slim profile sliding glass doors which maximise daylight and views and connect to the garden. The kitchen / dining room will have a second set of sliding glass doors on the south side which open onto to a sheltered and sunny courtyard garden. The courtyard will be arranged in a series of rectangular terraces floating on a background of local Solent shingle, informally planted with a variety of soft grasses and flowers of varying height, density and colour. A wildlife pond will sit at the centre of the courtyard garden providing a habitat for a variety of creatures and a focus for reflection. A cantilevered CorTen screen fence will divide the courtyard from the driveway and entrance where a cantilevered CorTen canopy and path provide a welcoming point of arrival.

Also on the ground floor will be a utility / plant / boot room and an office space to the south. A white steel spiral stair with oak treads will rise from a generous entrance hall all the way to a second floor study / lounge which will open onto roof terraces to both north and south. On the first floor will be five double bedrooms each with an en suite bathroom plus a library / reading space on the landing.

All three buildings will be highly insulated and served by a single deep bore array ground source heat pump providing energy for underfloor heating and domestic hot water. There will be several charging stations for electric vehicles.

Project Details

Client: Philippa and Stephen Nunn

Status: under construction

Cost: confidential

GIA: 800m2

Visualisations: © Sebastian Sliwinski Studio

Design Team

Design: RAK Architecture / Richard Butler Architect

Planning: ADN Planning Ltd

Arboriculture: Alderwood Consulting Ltd

Ecology: Hampshire Ecological Services Ltd

Structure: Centrespace Design LLP

M&E: Chris Staple Associates Ltd

Renewables: BBH Energy Strategies Ltd

Fire: BB7 Fire Ltd

Acoustics: Clarke Saunders Acoustics

Landscape: Nicholas Dexter Studio

Building Control: Assent Building Control Ltd

SAP: Darren Evans Ltd

CDM: MSAFE Risk Management Ltd

Construction

Construction Management: Cirrus Projects Ltd