Moorlands - New build town-house on sloping site.

My client owns a 1920's town house in a commanding position overlooking Minehead and the sea and he tasked me to design a three bedroom house to be built in the lower (down-hill) part of his front garden. Initially, I designed a house which responded to influences from the surrounding properties with a low, pitched roof to ensure that it would be visible from the fewest possible vantage points.
Simultaneously, a new concrete, timber and glass house for the neighbour's garden received planning approval and the planning authority asked us to align our design more with theirs. In using similar materials, I was keen to make our project distinct from next door's and still conscious of maintaining a low profile I developed this design to respond to the principal views, the slope of the site and the close proximity to the boundaries, while providing easy access to external balconies and terraces. The site characteristics and access points made it easy to decide on an 'upside-down' arrangement with bedrooms on the lower floor, each with direct access to a private terrace. Both floors are split level in response to the topography and for discreteness, both within and beyond the site.