On the Norfolk
Broads’ River Ant, the Grade II-listed Hunsett Mill is a local landmark. Until recently, though, the 19th- century cottage to its side, once the mill operator’s home, has literally been in its shadow. However, a daring extension by emerging architectural practice Acme has changed all that. The holiday home is co-owned
by Jon Emery, former UK head of development at property firm Hammerson. Before the cottage was renovated, says Emery, ‘the rooms were completely isolated, there was no communication between them.’ It also had little connection to its incredible setting, with no views of the mill, and few of the river. At the time, Emery was working
with Acme founder Friedrich Ludewig, who was at Foreign Office Architects. In a chance discussion, Ludewig suggested a radical approach to reworking the house. To counter the effect of piecemeal
extensions, Acme chose to strip the cottage back to its historic tiny form and start again. ‘We wanted to return the original view as you approach from the river,’ says Ludewig. The extension is cleverly conceived as a ‘shadow’ of the original cottage, replicating its volume in three pitched pavilions behind, folded like origami to create a sharp, abstract outline. The startling black, charred cedar
exterior was chosen to distinguish it from the brick cottage. Traditionally wood was used locally for humbler, agricultural buildings. In Norfolk charring was once a method (now lost) of preserving the wood by removing its oils. Acme, however, had to turn to Japan, where a similar tradition of yakisugi is still vibrant. The external vernacular
expression belies its sophisticated construction technology. Cross- laminated timber panels were CNC-milled off-site, pre-fitted with services, and finally slotted together
in just two weeks. Planning restrictions limited the height to match the existing cottage so this light and slim self-supporting envelope was specified in order to maximise internal living space. Inside, the first floor is hung
from the structure, allowing Acme to cleverly use the vaulted roof space to create bedrooms. Three double- height voids with vast windows pierce the first-floor slab and help create a feeling of space in what is a surprisingly modest-sized house. There has been much talk
recently of a revival of a ‘modern vernacular’, drawing heavily on the heritage of Colin St John Wilson, Peter Aldington et al. The computer- generated formal language of architects such as FOA or, now, Acme is somehow often set in opposition to this. Yet here in one building the two approaches are fused in a remarkably mature and promising calling card for such a young practice.
The Architectural Review / October 2010 / Buildings 059
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100