Two-Family House

Two-Family House
© Tristan Stocker

TWO-FAMILY HOUSE

Rundell Associates

ARCHITECTS
Rundell Associates

GENERAL CONSTRUCTING
Gynn Construction, Construktclt

INTERIOR DESIGN
Millard & Flo

DESIGN TEAM
Rundell Associates

 STRUCTURAL
Martin Perry Associates

QUANTITY SURVEYING
Derek Gough Associates

MECHANICAL
Will Potter Partnership

ENGINEERING & CONSULTING - OTHER
Crest Architectural Glazing

PHOTOGRAPHS
Tristan Stocker, John Hersey Studio

AREA
721 m²

YEAR
2024

LOCATION
Trenance, United Kingdom

CATEGORY
Houses

English description provided by the architects.

Two-Family House
© Tristan Stocker
Two-Family House
© John Hersey Studio

Two-Family House is a seaside retreat, set into the cliffs above the beach on the wild North Cornish coast.

The house was conceived as a gathering place to be shared by two families, along with their extended families and friends.

Two-Family House
© Tristan Stocker
Two-Family House
© Tristan Stocker

The twin brief ensured creative solutions were found to satisfy two disparate sets of requirements, with the overarching ambition to create a sustainably designed, no-compromise family seaside home that maximizes views of the sea and sky as a backdrop to the sandy beach and the sheltered private garden.

From the outside, the building is recessive, sunk deep into its dramatic cliffside setting.

Two-Family House
© John Hersey Studio
Two-Family House
© John Hersey Studio

External materials were chosen for their visual interest and durability, with the ground floor "plinth" - formed from local stone - embedding the house into its site, which previously existed as a local quarry.

The first floor is sheltered by a copper-clad overhang that has been left to weather naturally, a blue-green patina developing as the marine conditions dictate.

Two-Family House
© John Hersey Studio
Two-Family House
© John Hersey Studio

From the inside, the house is designed to showcase the breathtaking Atlantic panoramas with family-oriented spaces of primary importance.

Carefully calibrated and angled to create perfectly framed views of the headland, the ground floor provides a succession of entertainment spaces, with the living room flowing into the family kitchen and dining room, leading on to a kids' playroom, vitality pool, and carefully laid out surf changing and drying facilities beyond.

Two-Family House
© John Hersey Studio
Two-Family House
© John Hersey Studio
Two-Family House
© John Hersey Studio

Central to the plan is a dramatic curved timber staircase and a generous hallway that provides a pivot point at the crank between the two primary wings. The stair is topped by a circular roof lantern which allows ample daylight deep into the plan, whilst also facilitating natural ventilation across the house during the summer months.

Throughout the interiors, a natural material palette of timber, stone, and Cornish clay plaster has been employed to create a warm, textured, and inviting environment that feels both sophisticated and suitably unfussy for family use.

Externally, the previous owner had spent many years cultivating a tiered garden that winds down to the beach, hand-laying a network of stone retaining walls and paths that criss-cross the site.

Two-Family House
© John Hersey Studio
Two-Family House
© John Hersey Studio

During the construction, great care was taken to preserve these features and to ensure that the building added a sympathetic new layer to this history, echoing and enhancing the bio-diverse nature of the cliffside site.

A strong, sustainable focus underpins the overall design strategy. A pre-fabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure provides a low-carbon alternative to traditional steel and concrete.

Locally sourced stone cladding, heavily insulated walls, and a high-efficiency ventilation system with heat recovery work in conjunction with a ground source heat pump and a roof-mounted solar array to achieve exceptional energy performance.

Two-Family House
© Tristan Stocker
Two-Family House
© Tristan Stocker

"Through careful detailing, meticulous craftsmanship, and material integrity, 'Two-Family House' seeks to create a highly sustainable seaside retreat befitting of its magnificent setting that will provide much joy and shared experience for years to come."


Two-Family House
Ground Floor Plan
Two-Family House
1st Floor Plan
Two-Family House
Site Plan


Two-Family House
Section
Two-Family House
Isometric