Northshore lies on a magnificent site on Hayling Island with water frontage and slipway to Langstone Harbour. There are four buildings: a three-storey house, a single-storey annex, a beach house and boat shed.
The architecture of the house and annex draws on the distinctive art deco “DNA” of the original 1930s house and neighbouring Grade II Listed modern movement houses designed by architects Connell, Ward and Lucas in 1934 including white render walls, horizontal bands of glazing and glass-to-glass corner windows.
Externally, white render is used for the house and annex and black glass rainscreen cladding for the second floor “pod” and beach house. Windows are black powder coated aluminium with the remaining elements in Corten Steel and untreated timber. Internally, floors and joinery are in oak.
The annex building contains a double garage, plantroom, and two apartments and creates a sheltered, sun-trap courtyard to the south of the house. The courtyard is arranged in a series of rectangular decks with a reflection pool at the centre with gravel slots informally planted with a variety of soft grasses and flowers of varying height, density and colour. Permeable CorTen steel fencing divides the courtyard and garden zones from the driveway.
The ground floor of the house has three interconnected living spaces facing the harbour to the north side each with a distinct identity. To the east is a TV room, in the centre a lounge and to the west a large kitchen / dining room. Large sliding glass doors with slim profile frames maximise daylight and views and connect to the exterior spaces. Sliding glass doors on the south side of the kitchen open onto to the courtyard. Also on the ground floor is a utility / plant / boot room and an office space. A white-painted steel spiral stair rises from a generous entrance hall all the way to a second-floor study with large glass doors that open onto roof decks to both north and south. On the first floor are five double bedrooms each with en suite plus a large landing with library.
The beach house provides a springboard for activities both on and off the water and a place to embrace views of the harbour. Clad in the same black glass as the pod, the “stealthy” building hides in the shadows beneath the trees, reflecting its surroundings, its trapezoid shape further helping to reduce its bulk. Service spaces (storage, WC, shower and plant room) are accessed from the rear to make the most of the large internal space where large sliding glass doors open onto decking which invites you down to the shore. Just to the west is a sunken deck with bench seating which provides shelter when it is windy.
All three buildings are highly insulated with heat recovery mechanical ventilation. A 45KW deep-bore ground source heat pump provides energy for all underfloor heating and domestic hot water. The whole site is covered by a fully integrated smart home control system. House and annex roofs are planted with wildflowers.
A small boat shed with walls and roof clad in untreated timber slats forms an abstract box in the garden and completes the ensemble of buildings.
Project Details
Client: Philippa and Stephen Nunn
Status: completed
Cost: undisclosed
GIA: 800m2
Photography: Richard Chivers
Design Team
Design: Richard Butler Architect / RAK Architecture
Planning: ADN Planning Ltd
Arboriculture: Alderwood Consulting Ltd
Ecology: Hampshire Ecological Services Ltd
Structure: Centrespace Design LLP
M&E: Chris Staple Associates Ltd
Renewables: BBH Energy Strategies Ltd
Fire: BB7 Fire Ltd
Acoustics: Clarke Saunders Acoustics
Landscape Design: Richard Butler Architect / Nicholas Dexter Studio
Building Control: Assent Building Control Ltd
SAP: Darren Evans Ltd
CDM: MSAFE Risk Management Ltd
Interior Design: YAM Studios
Construction
Construction Project Management: Cirrus Projects Ltd