AR Design Studio Receive Planning Permission for 'Five Elms'

AR Design Studio has received planning permission for Five Elms, a private bespoke new build house located in Bosham, West Sussex, set within the sensitive context of the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Visuals
The Faction

Size
Total 300m2

Client
Private

AR Design Studio’s previous accolades in the area include Creek House, a contemporary new build dwelling situated along the Bosham Estuary. AR’s experience in the locality, as well as their portfolio of new-build houses provided the ideal experience in understanding the context and building typology needed to introduce a contemporary approach to the site.

The site currently hosts a two storey house that does not take advantage of the site’s opportunities whilst mitigating its constraints. The site is subject to flooding, therefore from the outset the brief required the design team to address these constraints. The narrative for the scheme came from within the local context, in the form of a Rap-tackle Grade II listed 18th century warehouse, planted in the water of Bosham Quay. This building, typical of its context, uses solid brick plinths to raise the building above water level, protecting and supporting an inhabited timber clad form.

We have translated this rationale to our site where flooding commonly occurs, raising the proposed 300sqm four bedroom house off the ground to allow flooding beneath. From the elevated ground floor, decking steps down to the landscape, whilst from an elevated perspective, the site also hosts uninterrupted views. This in turn has informed the concept of an upside-down house, private rooms inhabiting the solid plinths at ground floor to raise the first floor timber form, its open plan layout and balconies taking advantage of the views overlooking the surrounding farmland.

The concept of the Rap-tackle warehouse was continued through to the material palette, where solid materials of flint and a contemporary linear brick were chosen for the ground floor, supporting the light weight timber first floor form, reflecting the blend of traditional red brick and natural hues in the surrounding area.

As such the proposed house makes use of references and materials found in Bosham itself and across the surrounding countryside, whilst the brief has challenged the design to create a one-off contemporary design, enhancing the architectural distinctiveness of the area.

Read more about the project here