In perfect harmony

Susi Clark's long-held wish for creating a combined home and workspace came to fruition on a tricky sloping site

- Susi Clark

After having looked after her elderly and infirm parents for many years, retired architect Susi Clark was looking for a fresh start. Her current home wasn't suitable for a renovation or remodel, so she decided to search for a site on which to build a new house with space for a weaving studio.

"I wanted a home that was sustainable, comfortable and would look after me," says Susi. "When I mentioned this to some close friends they told me they were interested in buying a property with existing planning permission for an 'eco' home on the site. So we entered into a parallel purchase. They bought the house, which I rented for the duration of the build programme, then I bought the site from them. We all exchanged contracts and completed at the same time."

The sloping site has views across rolling countryside which Susi wanted to maximise, without impacting on those of her neighbours. This was particularly important to her as the original design that had been granted planning permission had blocked these, but had been passed at appeal. To overcome this, Susi, along with her friend and fellow retired architect, Marc Medland, designed a house where the roofline sits at the ground level of the neighbouring building. "As the site already had permission for a house, there were no planning issues at all and the new proposal was welcomed by the neighbours," she says.

PASSIVHAUS STANDARDS

The duo designed the two-storey house-with an adjacent single-storey studio-taking it to the planning permission stage. "We saw the sloping site as a positive feature in that it gives the house environmental shelter and privacy and provides robust thermal protection," says Susi. "Although the neighbours are quite close, it feels private and sits modestly into the hillside."