The site forms part of a smallholding created in 1935 under the Land Settlement Association, which brought emigrant workers from the depressed north of England onto 4 acre plots with a small house, set on the coastal plain inland from Chichester harbour. The site is now largely covered with greenhouses that are reaching the end of their life and the house is to be replaced. Our design proposals are based on the brief to house three generations of the original family in a single dwelling, while providing areas of privacy for each of the occupants.
This led to the development of three wings, one for grandparents, one for the younger family and the third as a shared living, dining and kitchen space. These three wings form a pinwheel plan held within a walled enclosure that in turn create small courtyards.
The two bedroom wings are single storey with opposing mono-pitched roofs while the two storey living ‘wing’ is also mono-pitched to maximise sunlight into the north facing courtyard. This wing accommodates an open plan living, kitchen and dining area, with a double height void over the living space. A master bedroom with dressing area and en suite bathroom are located above the kitchen and dining spaces, and is accessed by a stair located adjacent to the main entrance lobby. The children’s wing consists of two double bedrooms, shower room and a snug/study area.
The grandparent’s wing consists of a sleeping area, snug and bathroom. A utility/boot room, is accessed directly off an entrance lobby.
This composition provides a contemporary take on a typical rural or farmyard idiom of varied buildings set within a walled enclosure and also provides a sense of place within an open, flat and windswept landscape.
