ström architects cantilevers modern-day bungalow in england from a stone wall

in swanage, a coastal town in south east england, ström architects has replaced an aging 1910s bungalow with a contemporary single-storey home. titled ‘the quest’, the dwelling was completed for a couple with a passion for art and design. ‘the clients wanted a house for their retirement, but with a keen interest in design and a love of abstract and modern art, it needed to eschew the usual trappings of staid, retirement home design,’ explain the architects.

all images by martin gardner

ström architects quickly determined that a single-storey building would best suit the clients’ future requirements. the elongated property also mediates the steeply sloping site and allows for a simple arrangement of internal spaces. the design simultaneously reduces the home’s visual impact from across the valley, an aspect that helped from a planning perspective.

the residence is located in swanage, a coastal town in south east england

the site’s pronounced gradient dictated the positioning of the dwelling, with access via the front of the property to the south. a retaining wall faced in local purbeck stone has been used to visually mask the driveway, maintaining unobstructed views from the living spaces. to deal with the level changes, the house cantilevers over this wall and creates a sheltered undercroft parking area.

the house cantilevers over a wall and creates a sheltered undercroft parking area

internally, a centrally positioned open-plan living space also includes kitchen and dining facilities, with a covered terrace spanning the length of the property. guest accommodation and studies are found at the eastern end of the house, with the master suite contained within the cantilever to the west. the building’s external materials — waterproof concrete slabs and untreated larch cladding — have been referenced internally, with stone and timber flooring and a concrete hearth.

the retaining wall is faced in local purbeck stone and has been used to visually mask the driveway

‘the house exemplifies our belief that simplicity and honesty of construction underlie good design,’ says ström architects. ‘the initial concept and design drivers are instantly recognisable in the building, and we worked to retain this clarity of intent without adding anything unnecessary to the building. we think carefully about how we build our buildings and work closely with our engineers to ensure an architecture founded in such basic things such as structure, details, materials and order.’

the dwelling has been completed for a couple with a keen interest in art and design

a centrally positioned open-plan living space also includes kitchen and dining facilities

a covered terrace spans the length of the property

the home’s master suite is contained within the cantilever to the west

the building replaced an aging 1910s bungalow

the single-storey design reduces the home’s visual impact from across the valley

the sheltered undercroft parking area illuminated at night

project info:

name: the quest
location: dorset, UK
client: charles and pennie denton
size: 205 sqm / 2,207 sqf
construction cost: £750,000 total (inc. landscaping), £3,650 / per sqm
construction dates: october 2014 – december 2015

main contractor: matrod frampton ltd
structural engineer: barton engineers, calcinotto consulting engineers
cost consultant: stockdale
landscape architects: ross allan designs
photography: martin gardner

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