The design of this house has been very carefully considered to ensure that it blends in with its environment. Located on the edge of a lake in Surrey, the site is unique and very sensitive. The new house had to be designed to deal with these concerns and achieve the required accommodation with the minimum impact.
It is proposed that the new dwelling will replace an existing boat house, However, as the site lies within the Green Belt, an Area of Natural Beauty and an Area of Great Landscape Value, very special circumstances needed to be demonstrated in order to obtain planning approval.
The planners felt that a simple box design with a flat roof to minimise the building height would not have been acceptable in this sensitive location. A traditionally designed building with a pitched roof would have been far bulkier and therefore also unacceptable. Our design therefore evolved taking on board these comments in conjunction with the neighbours concerns.
We are proposing a contemporary design with a curved sweeping sedum roof. This building form provides the required accommodation within a low-lying building which minimises its visual impact. The proposed building will be single storey at the rear (north elevation) with the roof curving upwards to form a double height hall area with a gallery providing access to the first floor accommodation.
The lakeside view will be an elevation that will reflect the lake and surrounding trees. The solid walls behind this south façade curve inwards, minimising the visible areas of solid external walls.