The clients asked for a ‘holiday house with a feeling of relaxation, lightness and spaciousness and with the use of light materials, white walls and small accents of colour’. They required a spacious living/dining room with kitchen leading off this area. There was to be a main bedroom en-suite and four other bedrooms with shared bathrooms. Furthermore, a double garage was required and perhaps a sunny atrium to warm the house on the often chilly days.

 

Strict site constraints were overcome by dropping the garage below ground level and placing it under a slightly elevated living room, the garage became less prominent and the sea view from the living areas was greatly improved.

 

A prominent chimney forms a pivot for the house and road corner. On entering from the garage level, the stairs wind up round this pivot to the living space, where the sea view is first fully exposed.

 

Living, dining and kitchen areas all flow from the glazed atrium, round which the five bedrooms and their minimal bathrooms are tightly grouped. Staggering the street-facing bedrooms has provided each with north sun and a glimpse of the mountains.