Tonkin Liu Architects

Ness Point House

Ness Point House
© Robby Whitfield

NESS POINT HOUSE

Tonkin Liu Architects

ARCHITECTS
Tonkin Liu

INTERIOR DESIGN
Aedas Interiors

CONTRACTOR
Coombs

MANUFACTURERS
Velfac, Alan Hayward Joinery, Blackdown, Prima Systems

SAP CONSULTANT
Abba Energy

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Eckersley O’Callaghan

SERVICES ENGINEER
Mendick Waring

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Tonkin Liu

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
GPM Partnership

QUANTITY SURVEYOR
GPM Partnership

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Mike Tonkin, Anna Liu, Greg Storrar, Elio Bigi, Neil Charlton

LIGHTING DESIGN
Tonkin Liu, Aedas Interiors, Isometrix

QUANTITY SURVEYOR & PROJECT MANAGEMENT
GPM Partnership

PHOTOGRAPHS
Robby Whitfield, Nick Guttridge , Greg Storrar, Alex Peacock

AREA
439 m²

YEAR
2016

LOCATION
Dover, United Kingdom

CATEGORY
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

CULTURAL CONTEXT

Ness Point is a new house set in the dramatic landscape of the White Cliffs of Dover.

Ness Point House
© Robby Whitfield
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge

The client grew up in the locality and commissioned Tonkin Liu to design a modern building that responded to the cultural heritage of this landmark setting and to his own family heritage, suggesting that the building could in some ways be Celtic.

ARCHITECTURE AS LANDSCAPE

Hunkered into the land with undulating thick walls along its length, Ness Point is constructed as a journey with views that pull the surrounding landscape into the house.

Each room is orientated towards a different aspect of the landscape, across the passing ships of the English Channel, towards the sun rising out of the sea at the winter solstice, and over to the coastal cliffs called Ness Point, after which the house is named.

Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge

EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS

In response to the exposed nature of cliff top site perched 65 meter above the sea, the house is designed as a highly sealed and insulated enclosure.

The castle-like Ness Point House utilises heat recovery and solar thermal renewable systems to maximise energy efficiency in the winter, whilst the long gallery skylight and eco-vents enable passive cooling for equally exposed hot summer sun.

Ness Point House
© Alex Peacock
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge

CAVERNOUS VOLUME

Although the form is irregular the constructional techniques used to construct the house are traditional.

The combined effect of undulating plan and inclined sections creates a cavernous internal space that has been articulated to allow flexibility of use.

The interior catches the dynamism of the day’s changing light so that the building becomes a part of the larger canvas of ever-changing coastal weather.

Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge

LANDSCAPE OF TIME

Ness Point has been designed as if it had grown out of the land in which it is embedded.

The bio-diverse green roof slopes downward into the land at the rear, retaining rainwater and harbouring local wildlife, merging the house, over time, into the landscape of the coastal cliff top.

Tonkin Liu have used their unique storytelling methodology to design a house that fulfils the poetry of place. Tonkin Liu have used their unique storytelling methodology to design a house that fulfils the poetry of place.

Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge


Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge
Ness Point House
© Greg Storrar
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge


Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge
Ness Point House
© Nick Guttridge


Ness Point House
Roof Plan
Ness Point House
Roof Plan
Ness Point House
Ground Floor Plan
Ness Point House
Section


Ness Point House
Elevation
Ness Point House
Elevation
Ness Point House
Elevation
Ness Point House
Elevation

Tonkin Liu Architects
T +44 20 78376255
Tonkin Liu Architects
5 Wilmington Square, London WC1X 0ES, United Kingdom