Owers House

From the lane, the house appears as slightly mysterious with ‘blank’ walls and a bridge inviting entrance into a glazed atrium (a solid front door prevents the immediate view until opened). The walls are clad in an almost black, timber cladding, heightening the sense of mystery and evoking traditional tarred Cornish fishermen’s buildings.

To the southern side, a two-storey high wing contains bedrooms and study spaces, lit from a high level clerestorey to the north. Bedrooms are fully glazed and set back beneath an over-sailing roof offering solar shading, while balconies shade the lower floor rooms. From the west, the upper timber level sits atop a chalky brick base to appear to ‘float’.

To the northern side, a flat roofed living room wing project out dramatically above the dropping site, so that the living room gains fabulous views out across the estuary. The deep roof overhangs also prevents any glare when viewed from the estuary or from across the Creek.

A chimney – the epitome of home and Englishness – impales the living wing and creates a BBQ space on the sheltered terrace below.

The house has solar panels set flat on the living wing roof driving an air source heat pump provides heating.