Eco-friendly Retirement House, Liss, Hampshire

Eco-friendly Retirement House

Sustainable New Build, Liss, Hampshire

The brief, to design a new build, sustainable retirement property for our clients to relocate to from their current, art deco home.

In the heart of the SDNP with a countryside setting, this site has a very generous plot size and is currently occupied by a three storey art deco villa originally built for an admiral. An existing pool house forms part of the new dwelling curtilage. The requirement for undercover wheelchair-accessible parking and the incorporation of key views formed the brief. The clients’ love for the sea and overseas lifestyle deserved a highly personal solution to meet their needs and aspirations.

Our design is for a new single storey dwelling, replacing some of the existing outbuildings as a planning gain. It is sited centrally within the residential curtilage with a new, dedicated driveway positioned predominantly on existing hard standing in order to minimise the impact on the setting.

We chose the metaphor of the Tern, a sea bird, so as to juxtapose the existing nautically inspired art deco design. The Tern, one of the smaller seabirds, nevertheless has set the world record for migratory distances. It features a distinct and elegant appearance with striking white feathers and blue edged wings.

The building design evolved from an initially compact rectangular layout to a sequence of highly personal spaces. Each space is oriented towards a view and a different quality of light as a processional route through the new home.

The new dwelling meets the Lifetime Homes standards and has a layout that will enable its occupants to be cared for in their home. The sustainable building services strategy allows for minimal building maintenance and includes building integrated photovoltaics inlaid into the new and striking blue zinc roof with optimum orientation for maximum electrical yields.