Planning for our most exciting residential design yet, has been granted for this amazing 5/6-bedroom home in one of the most beautiful areas in East Kent. Set on a private road on the white cliffs, overlooking the sea and bordering The Leas above St Margaret’s Bay, has been an inspiring project to be involved with.
Designing this large, yet responsive family home on a site with approximately 14% gradient, has been demanding, yet very rewarding; at Creative Architecture we like a challenge. Our ethos is very much grounded in responding not only to the functional brief from the client, but to the site itself, which makes our designs unique to the immediate location, as well as our clients and the wider context.
We always start with a site analysis, considering the movement of the sun around the site throughout the year, together with the views, the prevailing wind direction, the topography, the existing trees and the site’s native vegetation.
In this project, the light, views and entry to the site, are all from the front. This puts immense strain on the design, as the front elevation has to work extremely hard to accommodate everything, including the front entrance. A building designed with a south facing frontage, will always suffer from a north facing rear patio and partially overshadowed rear garden. This site particularly so, as the rear garden continues to rise towards the back of the plot. The rising land to the south-western side of the plot, also prevents the enjoyment of the evening sun in the rear patio.
With the above in mind, the decision was taken to position the building to the north end of the plot to allow the south westerly part of the plot, which receives the light and enjoys uninterrupted sea views, to be maximised all day long.
The accommodation has been organised in such a way that the semi open plan kitchen and entertaining rooms, have an opportunity to spill out to various terraces to bask in the sunshine and taken in the views. At every level, sea views are prioritised with careful positioning and design of full height glass doors, opening up to balconies. In our signature internal courtyard / atrium, there are also points in the journey from one part of the building to another, to stop for a moment on one of the walkways across the double height space and take in the breath taking views….
