Seacoast
House

A neo-classical family home that reused existing foundations, captured the views and still delivers serious energy performance. Before: the clients already had an approved footprint and foundations in the ground, but the internal layout wasn’t delivering - particularly upstairs. The hall and landing were oversized, storage was lacking and the bedroom/en-suite arrangement didn’t suit a busy family of five. They also wanted the house to feel Georgian/neo-classical externally, without ending up with a “pretty shell” that costed a fortune to run. Solution: we kept the approved footprint and worked from the inside out. The redesign focused on zoning and flow: a proper open-plan kitchen/living/dining space positioned to embrace the elevated countryside views, with a direct indoor–outdoor connection to a raised patio. Upstairs, we tightened the circulation space, reshaped the bedroom/en-suite layouts, added meaningful storage and introduced a first-floor laundry - small move, big day-to-day win. The heart of the house is the open-plan living area, lifted by a roof lantern that drags daylight deep into the plan and makes the space feel bigger, calmer and more “finished”. While the architecture reads as neo-classical, the performance spec is unapologetically modern: high insulation levels, airtight detailing, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, underfloor heating and solar panels - driving high energy ratings and long-term comfort. The mild local climate allowed us to lean into passive solar gain and natural light without overheating risk becoming the dominant story. After: the clients got a light-filled, durable family home that sits comfortably in its rural setting, works better every single day and delivers the energy performance they cared about from the start. The best bit? The main living space does exactly what a countryside home should: it frames the landscape, pulls in southern sunlight and makes you want to stay put.