Clifftop Creation

Labrador Bay House is a striking, contemporary home hugging the clifftops above the Shaldon coastline. At 550 square metres, the new dwelling is sizeable, but the clients did not want the house to appear as one large, single mass.

The brief to Vesp architects was to replace the original large dwelling with a new home that would connect with the landscape, namely the gardens, surrounding wooded valley and sea views.

From the entrance, the house appears as a single-storey stone wall, forming a barrier between the viewer and the sea beyond. Above this, floating planar roofs sail over the stone and provide a glimpse of the light, glassy architecture that faces the sea.

Behind this wall, the house is divided into three main areas: kitchen and dining, entrance and living, and bedroom and gym. Each has its own over-sailing roof structure, finished in black zinc above and natural timber below. Between these areas, flat-roofed linking corridors connect the spaces, finished in coastal planting.

The seaward-facing side is more heavily glazed to open up the house to the views and garden. Dark timber cladding has been used to form the solid elements of the areas on the first floor – further helping the house to blend into its wooded surroundings.

The open-plan kitchen/dining room enjoys a full run of glazing, with sliding doors that open the space up to an external terrace with a panoramic sea view. The living room is a generous double-height space with feature fireplace and this is where the ground-floor entrance with boot room, shower, utility and plant room can be found.

The southern wing houses the master bedroom suite (with sunrise views), gym and indoor resistance pool. More intimate spaces in the northern side of the property include a study and cinema room, and two guest bedrooms.

The interior’s overall warm, darker tones complement the bright natural light gained from the glazed facades.

vesp.uk