Spanish Place

Client: Private

Location: Angmering, West Sussex

Area: 450sqm

Value: £1.3 Million

Procurement: Traditional

Fleet prepared designs for a pair of low energy ‘passivhaus’ homes for a spectacular seaside site in West Sussex, Spanish Place and Spanish Court.
The windswept beach side location lead the design team to generate an architectural response that drew upon practical seaside vernaculars, flint, hung tiles and oak shingles, which, when twisted with a modern programme specific to the client, created a contemporary and challenging approach.

The pair of houses was deliberately designed to relate to each other, contrasting to the street of villas which largely disregard their neighbours. The houses seek to huddle together slightly , suggestive of the crowding of dwellings in a fishing port sheltering from the harsh wind, rain and weather. Spanish place envelopes a courtyard to offer protected outside space, but also allowing for the life of the house to spill to the greensward and beach beyond.

Both Houses have been designed to ‘PassivHaus’ House standards which allows for minimal heat loss and extremely low energy consumption. As a relatively new standard in the UK, Fleet are now well versed in the approach and the technologies it requires.

The frame of Cross Laminated Timber allows for wide open spans internally. The room heights are generous and spaces will be flooded with natural light.
On hot summer days life from the house expands towards the beach, on wet windy days the family enjoy unrestricted views to a tempestuous English channel from the shelter of the home.