Coastal House
Brief
A holiday house on an exposed coastal plot, for a family who wanted proximity to the sea without full exposure to salt-laden wind.
Problem
Direct sea-facing glazing degrades quickly in this climate, and continuous exposure makes outdoor living uncomfortable for a large part of the year.
Signature Drawing
Click a room in the plan for detail.
Spatial Concept
A house planned around wind direction as rigorously as most houses are planned around sun path.
Material Strategy
Rendered blockwork with a salt-resistant finish on the windward face, timber screens on the leeward face, a raised timber deck responding to storm-surge risk.
Environmental Response
The solid windward wall and filtered breezeway together cut wind-driven salt exposure on openings by an estimated 70%.
Outcome
Five years on, the leeward timber screens show none of the salt degradation typical of fully exposed coastal glazing nearby.
Project Metadata
Timeline
Client site visits
Wind & salt-exposure study
Windward/leeward section
Material durability testing
Construction drawing set
13 months on site
Handover
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