ISLAND REST

‘Island Rest’ is a contemporary family holiday home on the Isle of Wight, sitting on a creek with views of The Solent. The clients were keen to focus on the extensive views and access to the water. Spending time together - either out on the water, or inside the house - was of paramount importance, so the design had to prioritise these functions of the house.

Simple, small children’s bedrooms and more welcoming social spaces mean that emphasis is placed on the communal areas, fostering time spent together as a family. At approximately 180sqm, the design uses space efficiently to house 5 bedrooms, whilst maintaining generous but comfortabe living areas.

With its low profile and black timber cladding, the house disappears against the background of trees when viewed from the creek. With a sloping site and very high flood levels, the simple single-storey rectilinear form is lifted off the ground on a plinth at one end, and slender steel columns where the ground slopes away. The black cladding gives way to rich tones of oak on soffits, ceilings, balcony reveals and internal walls, giving a more welcoming and homely feel to the accommodation within.

The house was delivered in a very short period of time - planning was granted in August 2018, and stood ready on site in September 2019.

The rigourous Technical Design enabled a quick and smooth build, without programme or cost overruns, and all built to an exceptional quality.