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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. El Ray in Dungeness Beach, Kent by Simon Conder AssociatesAugust 31st, 2013 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Simon Conder Associates Dungeness beach is a classic example of ‘Non-Plan’ and the houses that populate the beach have developed through improvisation and bodge. This scheme develops this tradition in a way that responds to the drama and harshness of the landscape.  Image Courtesy © Paul Smoothy
 Image Courtesy © Chris Gascoigne El Ray is part of a group of five beach houses located immediately to the east of the huge Dungeness A power station. The original house consisted of a 19th century railway carriage with flimsy lean tos to the north and south. It was in extremely poor condition and too small to accommodate our clients and their growing family. We were asked by our clients to increase the accommodation area by approximately 50%, and dramatically improve the environmental performance of the house.  Image Courtesy © Chris Gascoigne The new house incorporates the old railway carriage inside a highly insulated timber structure. The carriage forms the centre point of the main living area and accommodates the kitchen. A fully glazed southern elevation gives views out over the channel and a series of smaller slot windows on the other elevations give focused views of the adjacent lighthouse, coastguard station and nuclear power station. The sloping roof deck acts as an observation platform with extraordinary 360 degree views of the beach and the sea. The plan incorporates two courtyards to provide shelter from the constant wind.  Image Courtesy © Chris Gascoigne Environmental Performance The high levels of insulation in the walls, roof and floor ensure that heat loss from the building is minimal and very little energy is required for heating, lighting and ventilation. External glazing consists of a combination of double-glazed, low ‘E’, argonfilled frameless fixed lights and thermally-broken, aluminium sliding doors.  Image Courtesy © Chris Gascoigne The structural timber frame is constructed from lightweight engineered timber I-Joists, braced inside and out with a sheathing materialmanufactured entirely from wood waste. The insulation between the I-joists and studs is made from recycled newspaper. The external cladding and decking is made from an FSC certified hardwood called Itauba and the internal wall linings, floors and all joinery are constructed from  Image Courtesy © Chris Gascoigne A canopy projects out over the south deck to shade the living areas from the high summer sun, but allows the low winter sun to warm the house. When necessary a wood-burning stove, using drift wood from the beach, is used to supplement the passive solar gain in the winter months and in extremely cold conditions electric under floor heating, powered by the wind turbine, will heat the two bedrooms and the bathroom.  Image Courtesy © Paul Smoothy It is anticipated that the during the year the wind turbine will generate more electricity than the house will consume, meaning that the house can be run at carbon negative. The client intends to sell any surplus electricity generated by the wind turbine back to the National Grid.  Image Courtesy © Paul Smoothy  Image Courtesy © Paul Smoothy  Image Courtesy © Paul Smoothy  Image Courtesy © Paul Smoothy  Image Courtesy © Paul Smoothy
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Tags: Dungeness Beach, Kent Category: House |
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