Building in ICF
“They were keen for the house to be appropriate — not too bling!” explains Ian. “Something contemporary but subtle, and that was our starting point when it came to materials.”
Wanting to avoid the ubiquitous white render and blue lias stone used for so many of the houses built along the South Hams in recent years, a design was developed for a house that took into consideration the lightly wooded nature of the site and gave off an element of warmth. “It felt as though this house should be clad in timber to help soften its appearance and to give it some natural texture,” explains Ian. “We chose larch for its knot-free appearance and attractive smooth grain.
“We combined the timber with small elements of stone tile cladding and render, along with corten steel, which is there to add punches of colour and warmth. The steel will dull down over time and become a bluey brown.”
The house has been constructed using ICF (insulating concrete formwork) from Nudura, a site-built system commonly used in the US and Canada now being used more and more in the UK.
“It was the first project we had used Nudura for,” says Ian. “Site access was very narrow and steep and getting SIPS (structural insulated panels) onto site would have been too hard.
“This system essentially uses polystyrene Legostyle blocks that can be slotted together to form the house. The blocks have an inner and outer layer and are hollow inside. Once you have built the ground floor – which you could do in about a week – a concrete truck comes to the site and fills up the whole thing in one go. When cured, you carry on and build the first floor in the same way.
“It is a very quick way of building and the polystyrene acts as insulation too — so you kill two birds with one stone. It’s really simple and clever as a system. It is also a relatively cheap way to build
— comparable with cavity blockwork construction.”
The stone and render cladding was then applied to the polystyrene blocks, whilst the timber was attached to battens that had been fixed to the blocks.
Despite the sloping nature of the site, the old bungalow had been built on a solid plateau of land and had a good footprint, so the new house has been located on top of that. However, significant groundwork was required for the swimming pool that lies to the rear of the house, requiring piling and concrete ring beams.
Internally, the house is entered at first floor level, with the living and kitchen areas located here, and large balconies leading directly off them. A central entrance hall with floor-to-ceiling glazing provides dramatic sea views on entering the house, whilst an enormous roof lantern located above the striking concrete and timber staircase further floods the space with light.
The open-plan layout of the living areas has been broken up through the interesting use of aluminium glass dividing screens, an idea devised by interior designer Jenny Luck, who also worked on the project.
The finished house now offers a clear connection with the sea views and great swathe of coastline that lies beneath. Despite clearly being a new addition to this part of the Devonshire coastline, the materials used, as well as the way that they have been applied, means the house offers an exciting, warm and characterful take on contemporary design.
‘‘
They were keen for the house to be appropriate… something contemporary but subtle