Flood Resilient House Approved
Baca have received planning consent for a new flood resilient house in Oxfordshire.
Baca have designed a compact new house alongside a small brook in a leafy garden site in the historic Doomsday village of Sutton Courtney.
The design was carefully developed to find a solution that was safe from flooding, preserved the mature trees and complemented the mix of historic buildings. The dwelling is simple in form, low in profile and set well into the site such that it can only be glimpsed through trees from the main road. The house is conceived as a series of interlocking buildings, as if gradually extended over time, yet harmoniously clad in a compliment of timber, glass and steel (reminiscent of converted barns in the area). The local architecture panel described it as being a ‘very competent and a well thought through scheme’.
The interlocking forms create an open plan interior yet manages to maintain the intimacy of separate rooms. Double height spaces juxtapose lower ceiling heights to create a variety of characterful spaces.
The plan is arranged around a sun bathed open deck area, separating the living accommodation from the bedroom wing. The roof of these two areas extends above the gable to create a discreet second floor area, above the dining room, for the master bedroom and en-suite. Generous windows and sliding folding doors to the rear of the house create open views and access into the garden, creating a strong relationship with the site.
The site has a Brook running along its edge and during high rainfall the site may flood. The house is raised above the flood level allowing water to convey underneath when the area floods. During dry periods the house appears to lightly float on its deck above the wildflower meadow. The landscape is sculpted to accept encroaching water, adding water storage and acting as a gradual warning of the advancing flood waters. Additional Swales, permeable paving and other suds measures reduce the run off into the stream, reducing the risk of the brook flooding and lessening disruption to other village residents.
Quote from the Architect
“The proposed dwelling, whilst contemporary in design is simple in form, low in profile and set well into the site. The proposal preserves the character and appearance of the conservation area.”
Roger Ashman, Baca Architects
SITE COMING SOON
