Residential

New House Design, Abersoch, North Wales

The architect’s brief was to design a sustainable contemporary new house for this tight, steeply sloping cliff-side site facing Cardigan Bay, North Wales. Adding to the complexity of the problem was the requirement for the new house to have a fully accessible interior design to mobility standards suitable for wheelchair access. The resultant design re-interprets the language of the seaside home in Abersoch with a timber framed and clad two storey dwelling opening onto a terrace overlooking the beach. A series of platform and chair lifts enables wheelchair access throughout the site. The accommodation comprises three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large combined kitchen/dining/lounge area and plenty of storage for surfboards etc. The modern living area features a large retractable glazed screen, which blurs the distinction between inside and outside. The house was granted approval following a planning application in 2010 and building work is due for completion in 2011.