We were approached by Mrs Hidden to replace and redesign her dated holiday home, which her father built approximately 55 years ago. The house and Kenton on Sea had a very high sentimental value, which has been the family's holiday destination since she was little. The house had no value in terms of aesthetic appearance or heritage. 

The existing house was very segregated in terms of spatial arrangement and the relationship between inside and outside was very weak. The concept was to create a contemporary version of her previous home with careful consideration of space and place. The lines blur between inside and outside and the building lives out in 2 directions. The view towards the river is magnificent, but when the prevailing winds are blowing at the front, she can live out towards the sunken courtyard space, which is very protected from the winds.

The top level houses the main living spaces and 2 private bedrooms, whilst the bottom floor houses another 5 bedrooms and cinema lounge. The house can easily accommodate 2 people as well as 25.

The challenge was to maintain the subtle presence on street level as well as from the riverside. The building was sunken into the landscape so that the bottom level is hardly visible from the river.

The end result was a large holiday house that does not feel large at all.