Ty-Hedfan

Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young

Ty-Hedfan

Featherstone Young

AREA
2400 ft²

YEAR 
2009

LOCATION
United Kingdom

CATEGORY
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

Ty-Hedfan is a new house perched above a river in a small village at the top of a valley, five miles from Brecon and the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park.

Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young
Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young
Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young

The site is quite unique, sloping down to the confluence of two rivers, Ysgir Fach and Ysgir Fawr, that run across the length of the property. Ty-Hedfan, meaning 'hovering house' takes full advantage of this river side location.

Because of a statutory 6m no-build zone along the river bank, it cantilevers the main living areas up to the river bank and elevates them amongst the trees.

The house is a further exploration of the practice's interest in highly site specific and contextual architecture, taking its cue from the traditional Welsh long house form, using local materials such as slate and stone and by fully utilizing the typography of the site to create a striking and unique form. The house totals 2400sqft (223sqm) of internal living space which is split into two quite differently constructed wings:

Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young
Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young

The main house wing has the cantilevered living room and a double height kitchen and dining spaces that open onto an elevated courtyard overlooking the garden, river and countryside.

The upper floor of this wing, partially within the roofspace, contains 2 bedrooms and bathrooms.

The second wing is perpendicular to the first and partially buried into the sloping ground. It has a gently sloping green sedum roof that appears to be an extension of the garden behind.

Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young
Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young

This wing comprises two guest bedrooms and a study room with bed mezzanine, all with full height windows and doors opening up onto a riverside deck. Punctuating the green roof are irregular shaped rooflights bringing ample daylight into this semi sunken area.


Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young
Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young
Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young
Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young
Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young
Ty-Hedfan
Courtesy of featherstone young


Ty-Hedfan
section
Ty-Hedfan
section


Ty-Hedfan
combined ground plan
Ty-Hedfan
ground plan with key
Ty-Hedfan
upper plan


Ty-Hedfan
site plan with key
Ty-Hedfan
combined site plan


Ty-Hedfan
sketch