Orange Cottage

Site: This new-build 200 sqm timber framed house is situated in the heart of the picturesque Tudor village of Lavenham in Suffolk. The site itself belonged to the adjoining property until it was sold with planning permission. An existing flint and brick wall defines the front boundary which faces a Grade II* listed house.

Brief: As architects creating our own house one of the most significant challenges was to design a house that has a clear architectural idea within an extremely sensitive historic context. The accommodation requirements were for a fluid and open plan ground floor area with four bedrooms and three bathrooms to the upper floors. It was Important that the house provided space for relaxed entertaining, music making and also allowed for home working. With beautiful views and a southerly aspect to the rear it was also critical that the house had a very open and strong connection to the garden.

Planning: Surrounded by listed buildings, English Heritage advised that the sensitivity of the site went beyond local considerations and was of ‘international importance’. Our pre-planning application discussions with the local authority indicated that they would favour a more contemporary solution, reflecting the Lavenham 2000 Village Design Statement. However once the application was lodged English Heritage felt it was inappropriate to build at all on the site and the first application was refused despite considerable local support. A second application was therefore submitted to build a house within the silhouette of the scheme that already had planning permission. This was granted consent.

Design: The challenge was to design a building that was both sympathetic to its context whilst being of its time. The form of the house, with its steeply pitched roof, references the local vernacular and continues a rhythm of cascading gables when viewed from the street. The street elevation, the most sensitive in planning terms, is intentionally laconic and is intended to neither compete with nor parody its more historic neighbours. A simple language of solid oak casements, limewashed render and red brick uses a traditional palette of materials but to a more subtle contemporary effect. In the rear elevation these contemporary qualities of the house are made more overt. Here the composition of central gable, brick lean-to and chimney seem quite strikingly modern, an impression emphasized by the arrangement of projecting oak frames, full height glazing and oak panelled screens that unite the windows to the living area and principal bedroom in a single composition.

Construction: The house is a timber stud frame, part rendered and limewashed, part brick clad. All visible joinery is in solid European oak finished in boiled linseed oil. Steel framing elements are used to allow the open plan of the ground floor, the large openings to the rear and the use of the roof space for the second floor. Inside the ground floor is brick on screed while the upper floors are timber joists finished in engineered Oak boards. Underfloor heating is used throughout. All timber timber joists are exposed on the underside and are therefore oversized to make provision for adequate fire protection. We also like the way they look.

Environmental performance: We were interested in making a building with a high performance in use without resorting to gimmicks. Thus the building is very well insulated with U-values 24% better than required regulations. The heat source is a refined condensing boiler (with a SEDBUK rating of 94.1%). The overall SAP rating is 106/120 (ref 2001), which is very high.

Interior Design:
As architects we are not only interested in the exterior of the building, but also the interior. We spent a great deal of time choosing materials, designing the fire place as well as all the joinery, the kitchen and the light above the dining table. Most of the furniture was bought for the house or inherited and we enjoy the combination of antique furniture with modern pieces.
Timetable: Planning consent was granted in The project began in September 2005. It immediately came to a halt as a Tudor Oven was discovered and had to be examined and removed by the county archaeologists. It restarted in October 2005 and the major work completed in November 2006. The external works and final sign off was February 2007.

Budget: The total cost of construction was £400,000 equating to £200/sqft

Conclusion: The house is an unusual proposition: a contemporary building within a C16th village where every building is listed. We believe that in a small way we have created a building that has allowed people to consider how modern architecture can be contextural but different. It is humbling to think that we are just custodians of the house. for now. There is a good chance it will be there in 500 years time.