The construction of the 3750 ft² Lake House, a contemporary new build private residence situated on a man-made island in a flooded quarry in the Cotswolds, will be overseen by Boon Brown Architects. Having been Lead Consultant and Architect from design inception through to planning and full technical design, Boon
A bespoke three-bedroom 1820 sq ft house designed by Boon Brown Architects for James Laurence Group is being built on a difficult brownfield residential site in Wandsworth, London. This contemporary detached house is enclosed by private houses, a redundant substation land and a small Peabody Trust garden. Boon Brown’s design
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
The construction of the 3750 ft² Lake House, a contemporary new build private residence situated on a man-made island in a flooded quarry in the Cotswolds, will be overseen by Boon Brown Architects. Having been Lead Consultant and Architect from design inception through to planning and full technical design, Boon Brown will continue to work with the client to administer the build contract and ensure every detail of Lake House is delivered to specification. “Right from the outset, our client demanded a bold, high specification design with a strong visual connection with the lake. We applied our experience in bespoke residential design with commercial scale architecture to explore original solutions and create the architecture and language the client sought. The form, layout and technical detailing will deliver expansive views of the lake unhindered by the distraction of structural elements, window framing or railings,” explained Craig Jones, Architectural Director at Boon Brown. The new build’s reinforced concrete frame will enable large column-free spans whilst maintaining a slim flat-slab floor construction and low storey height. Exposed concrete is largely left fair faced internally in an honest expression of the structure. The elevational design expresses a light, modular clad ground floor with a high percentage of energy performance glazing and black glass spandrel cladding, allowing the first floor to visually float above a reflective base. The upper floor directs views over the lake, with the master bedroom having a stunning 6m by 3m frameless corner-glazed floor to ceiling picture window. The upper floor cladding incorporates larch vertical strips to the main form, matching surrounding buildings and being sensitive to the woodland setting, whilst the expressive parts are sheathed in black render. Meanwhile, the minimalist interior required exceptional design coordination with building services to ensure systems are discreet and complement the interior. A VRF refrigerant comfort cooling system serves fan coil units unobtrusively built into each habitable room and coordinated with fit-out furniture. The building fabric is highly insulated, and the underfloor heating is via water source heat pump, taking advantage of the lake setting. The central ventilation system incorporates heat recovery and tempered fresh air supply. Lake House is a family home at The Lakes by Yoo, a disused quarry site that has been flooded to create sculptured island plots for individual dwellings. The accommodation is divided over three floors, with all the principal rooms enjoying the south-westerly view over the lake. In addition to five bedrooms, living, dining and media rooms, there is a roof level reading room that connects to a terrace and hydropool.
A bespoke three-bedroom 1820 sq ft house designed by Boon Brown Architects for James Laurence Group is being built on a difficult brownfield residential site in Wandsworth, London. This contemporary detached house is enclosed by private houses, a redundant substation land and a small Peabody Trust garden. Boon Brown’s design uses simple materials and strong forms to create an original new building that sits composedly within the mix of traditional character and modern utility housing. “The site posed many obstacles to residential development. In addition to being situated in the Park Town Conservation Area, it is adjacent to the Queens Arms pub which is included in Wandsworth Borough Council’s local list of unlisted buildings of architectural or historical interest. The site is also situated within Flood Zone 3 – at risk from a Thames tidal breach requiring flood defence at a level up to 1.8m above pavement level,” explained Craig Jones, Director of BBA. The house includes a three-storey part subterranean courtyard dwelling with bedroom accommodation on the upper ground floor to facilitate flood mitigation. A distinct architectural response to the context, the angular shape and form of the house is directly influenced by the necessity to protect surrounding daylight amenity and prevent overlooking in nearby houses. The strong modern palette uses a grey multi facing brick as the main material, allowing the house to be distinctive without being overbearing. The single elevation onto the highway is narrow and restricted, so the design uses a screen wall as a singular flat component, whose white facing brick stands off against the grey brick of the main structure. A block of glazed cladding lightens the façade, as well as introducing gentle diffused light into the upper floor. Furthermore, the secure elevated courtyard can be entered from pavement level and it contains storage for cycles and bins, as well as the stepped approach up to the main entrance on the upper ground floor. The upper ground floor houses the bedrooms and two bathrooms around a central light well. An internal staircase leads down to the living room and kitchen / diner, each side of a glazed courtyard. The central courtyard and light well offer an elegant solution to maximising the daylight available to the habitable rooms, as well as creating natural ventilation and precious outdoor amenity space. A second internal staircase descends to the basement media room, which will be constructed as a contiguous reinforced concrete box with waterproof walls. Boon Brown’s tailor-made design not only maximises the development opportunity and overcomes the challenges imposed by the location, but succeeds in creating a modern, spacious and welcoming one-off family home.
