CASE STUDY
GOING UP THE HILL TO DOWNSIZE
Building a contemporary home had always been at the back of one West Sussex couple’s minds, but it wasn’t until downsizing became the sensible decision that it became a reality. Roseanne Field reports
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n a village in rural West Sussex sits a house that’s quite different from anything else in the area. The country lane leading to it gives little hint of the building sat behind the gates. Driving up the sloped driveway, it’s only as visitors reach the top of the elevated site that they first glimpse the very modern, zinc-clad house – which is in stark contrast to the traditional English properties around it.
One such house is Jackie and John’s old property, just down the hill from the new one – a Grade II listed, 17th century house that they and their two daughters called home for 16 years. However, with both girls having grown up and moved out, the time had come for the couple to look at downsizing, and this sparked an idea to build their own home at the top of the hill, on land they already owned.
“Self-build had always been at the back of our minds,” Jackie explains. But with both of them working full-time, it was never a practical option. It was only when looking to move that it became a more serious conversation. “We thought actually this is our opportunity to build something that we would like – that isn’t somebody else’s dream,” she says. “We were at the right time of life really.”
To get the ball rolling they contacted a planning consultant, who advised them to arrange a pre-application meeting with their
The couple ended up with an L-shaped design – an idea John came up with as it allowed them to still have a courtyard of sorts
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local planning team – a decision they’re very glad they made, and one Jackie urges other self- builders to make. The original design comprised three elements around a central courtyard but they were told it wouldn’t be approved because it was too big for the site and wasn’t in-keeping with the location and existing buildings. “It was very worthwhile,” she comments. “For the sake of a drawing and a couple of hundred quid, we saved a fortune.”
The other thing flagged up in the pre-app meeting was the height of the building, and so the ground was dug out slightly in order for the house to sit lower down. Having amended designs before submitting the application, the process was more or less plain sailing. “Although it was lengthy, and there were a few hitches, it was probably as straightforward as you can get,” Jackie says. “We’re lucky we don’t have any immediate neighbours, so we didn’t get any personal objections.”
They ended up with an L-shaped design – an idea John came up with, as it allowed them to still
The L-shaped house has a distinctly modern appearance, sitting around a ‘courtyard’
OPPOSITE
The exterior is clad in zinc arranged horizontally to echo a barn on the site
All images © Roseanne Field LOW POINT
“The short days in winter when we were getting the inside finishes done and the light was poor, and things had to be redone. Also, living offsite with our old dog who couldn’t cope with it, and having the cats living in the barn.”
may/june 2019
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