HIGH POINT
“The fi nished house. After years of my having to manage and watch from afar, I was in a posi- tion to be fully involved in the interiors and fi nishing touches. ur fi rst night in a fully fi nished, furnished house was pure luxury!”
community council.” The real stumbling block was fi nding a team willing and able to build the house. Jane initially hired a fi rm based a couple of hours drive away, but by the time they had constructed the shell, their commitment was waning, and Jane parted ways with them.
By this time, however, she had already met Neil through a mutual friend. Although Neil isn’t a builder he owns a stove fi tting company the couple decided he would project manage the rest of the build, using sub-contractors, as and when the family could afford it. “Neil felt he could do a good job,” says Jane. “We’d already been let down by a building fi rm our fi ngers had been burnt.”
Although the instigator and driving force behind the project, Jane wasn’t hands-on, as she kept busy with her work in medicine and with the arrival of their three children. It was a busy time for a growing family. “Neil was blood, sweat and tears; he broke his wrist,” recalls Jane. “I was having babies and meeting architects.” The house was constructed with concrete at
ground level. This was essential for strength and durability, but the upper fl oor uses a highly insulated timber structure made from glulam beams that helps even out the home’s overall carbon footprint. This upper level is wrapped in low-maintenance, sustainable fi bre-cement tiles. These are a practical and cost-effective alternative to slate. Designed to perform in tough coastal conditions, the tiles form a protective screen that stands up to driving rain and strong winds, and they will age gracefully over time. They also
“Planning permission was straightforward, thanks to our architect’s diligence”
reconcile this strong contemporary style with the slate and white-rendered buildings common to the local area.
Beyond its outer skin, the house was designed with a clear focus on comfort and practicality. The structure and insulation work together to keep the temperature inside stable throughout the year, and reduce the need for mechanical heating and cooling. Fresh air can move easily through the home, with openable windows and an open plan layout that allows warm air to rise through the double-height entryway and escape at a high level. This natural fl ow of air helps the house stay comfortable even during warmer months, while timber slats along the stairwell provide shade and privacy without blocking daylight. As the home’s setting demands several huge sections of glazing, the architects were careful to balance the benefi ts of passive solar gain being warmed by the sun) with the risk of overheating.
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