The plot for the house is situated on a steeply sloping site within a triangular piece of garden adjacent to the existing Victorian villa.
The house delicately responds to the various elements which make up the character of the context. Working closely with the client to help them through the complexities of designing a new home, as we sought to make a private space that celebrates this extraordinary site whilst retaining the integrity and value of the existing house, a handsome detached Victorian house.
In plan, the ground floor of the dwelling is organised into two distinct types of space, with a central stair case separating the informal rooms to the east from the more formal living spaces to the west. This hinging of the plan around the central circulation defines how the building relates to the complex geometry of the site. The upper floor provides bedrooms with amazing long-distance views to the moors both to the north and south. The slim profile of the upper floor ensures a narrow gable is presented to the existing house to limit its presence and impact.
To the front, the house addresses the street as a confident re-interpretation of a Victorian villa, the predominant architecture of Ilkley. To the rear our design uses lots of glass, a rigorous grid and wide-angle views to allow the house to mediate the transitional space between the inside and the terraced garden and the southern views.
The main volume of the building is clad in large course Yorkshire gritstone, with dark stained timber elements used for bays and recessed cladding to provide a richness of texture as a contrast to the stone.
Completed 2018
