“It has been a huge learning curve”


room that can either be a children’s bedroom or a home office – a useful alternative in the current climate. The interior detailing has also incorporated some traditional aspects, as well as being fairly neutral – with simple greys, white painted spindles, mahogany handrails, and carpet runners up the stairs. “With the interior, we weren’t trying to break the mould because everyone has different tastes,” says Rik. The downstairs, which is essentially the basement due to the gradient, is where the design turns more contemporary. It’s a large open-plan space with the kitchen at the front,


62 www.sbhonline.co.uk


dining in the middle, and a living area at the rear with bi-folding doors leading out into the garden. Rik explains that “the family could all be downstairs watching TV, having dinner, playing in the garden, but upstairs is a bit more formal.” With the downstairs being at ‘basement’ level, the design needed to allow as much natural light into the homes as possible. This was achieved by including basement-level lightwells at the front of the homes facing east. This allows the morning sun to pass through into the kitchen, lighting up the downstairs. As the sun passes over, the large rooflights in the houses’ kitchens and the bi-folding doors at the west-facing rear, capture the midday and evening sun, creating a downstairs area filled with natural light throughout the day. The way the houses are built into the slope has been noticed by the local council, who have asked if they could use the site as an example of good design on a sloping typography. This is just one validation of the project’s success for the pair.


Although the project faced a litany of


problems, Matt and Rik have taken many positives from it. “It has been a huge learning curve,” says Rik. “On a project that had so many issues the way we’ve dealt with the problems and come out on top, I think for me it’s a big success.”


The twist in the tale is that while the homes


are currently on the market, Rik explains that his family may end up moving into one of them as their house is currently for sale, “so it may well end up being a self-build after all!” 


issue 02 2021


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