F
or most of their lives, artists Pippa Young and David Mankin enjoyed living in the type of period English properties which many would think of as the ‘perfect’ home. Yet, as the family nest emptied, the maintenance issues mounted. “We’d had a life of restoring period homes, and we had ‘refurbishment fatigue’,” laughs Pippa. “Even minor jobs revealed all kinds of horrors.” The idea of changing how they live began to grow in the couple’s minds. “Years ago, we had seen a picture of a minimalist house and we said, ‘One day, we’d like to do that’.” Their opportunity came when they discovered a 1930s bungalow for sale in their area. Thanks to being built using the sub-standard ‘mundic’ block common across Cornwall in homes built during the first half of the 20th century, the bungalow was not mortgageable. The problem lies in the aggregate used to make the blocks. Often, this included waste rock from mining, quarrying and even beach gravel combined with china clay waste, and the blocks deteriorated over time, leading to instability. “The mundic meant only cash purchasers could buy it,” explains Pippa. “Although there were still a lot of people interested.” That high level of interest was down to the property’s west Cornwall setting, offering spectacular views across the sea. Having secured the bungalow, Pippa and David sold their home, moved into a rented cottage and began planning their new home. “We had lots of ridiculously expensive ideas,” laughs Pippa, recalling their initial thought to clad the house in bronze. Other extravagant suggestions fell at their first brush with reality. Yet, as professional artists, Pippa and David did have a clear vision of how they wanted
26
www.sbhonline.co.uk
“It was the aesthetic that we were quite prescriptive about,” recalls Pippa
their new home to look; clean lines, minimal detailing, natural materials and of course, putting those sweeping coastal views at the heart of the design. Unfortunately, they struggled to find common
ground with the first architect they approached and put things on hold until a friend suggested London-based architect Suzanne Brewer. “We visited her home, and it was exactly the aesthetic we wanted. We had a shared vision,” says Pippa.
Pippa and David took a belt-and-braces
approach to the planning application, submitting pre-application plans for advice, and hiring a planning consultant. They wanted to demolish the old bungalow and replace it with a contemporary, four-bedroom, reverse-level home with plenty of glazing facing the sea. “We were worried about building above the ridge line on neighbouring properties, so we dug down and designed a at roof, but it wasn’t an issue,” says Pippa. “We could have saved money by not digging down.” Pippa and David were keen not to be forced into compromises on their design, so they had an open day to show the plans to local residents.
sep/oct 2023
HIGH POINT
“When the windows went in; it became a house then, not a building site.”
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
