Contemporary Lake District Living
It is a commonly held belief that all Lake District buildings should be quaint and historic in order to ‘preserve’ a traditional image of the British countryside, but this is far from the case. The traditional buildings that abound in the National Park were all contemporary in their day, and there is no reason that contemporary architecture shouldn’t find a home amongst the hills today.
Of course, that doesn’t mean building brutal, ultra-modern monoliths, with no regard for their place in the landscape. It means blending modern Lake District house designs with their settings to create buildings that respect their enviable locations, help to enhance the landscape and bring the Lakes right up to date with some stunning, but sensitive modern designs.
HPA are thrilled to be playing a part in Cumbria’s architectural renaissance, with two striking new homes that bring together traditional materials and forward-facing designs to show just what is possible.
North Lakes House
Working alongside Architect Andrew Walters, Chartered Architectural Technologist, Charlotte Fenn, has risen to the unique challenges of building in the National Park by developing this inspiring design for a replacement family home that includes local materials, avoids local disruption and anticipates local weather.
Charlotte, our BIM expert, has worked to further develop a design that combines blue slate walling, a zinc roof and colour co-ordinated cladding, to melt the building into its setting, while the large areas of glass not only let in the stunning Lakeland views, but also keep out the notorious Lakeland weather.
Aware of the access restrictions to the site, the team designed the building to be part pre-fabricated, allowing much of the work to be done off-site, reducing disruption and damage to the local environment.
North Lakes House will be appearing, and disappearing into the background, over the coming year, adding a new generation of contemporary family home to the area.
House on the Lake
Designing a replacement home that rises from the shores of one of Britain’s most loved lakes, is never an easy challenge. Making that home modern and contemporary, while still sitting effortlessly in its location, is harder still. However, lead architect, Andrew Walters, supported by one of our up and coming stars, Emma Newport, has managed to pull this off with considerable style at the House on the Lake.
Thinking outside the box, and using the unique landscape as inspiration, the team has designed a series of staggered layers that are both contemporary and creative, hugging the contours on the hillside like a series of tree houses. The design not only eases the building into its surroundings, helping the local slate and natural wood cladding blend into the background, but also minimises the excavation work required for construction. What’s more, it delivers considerable terraces on each level which also convey the steepness of the lake shore to the many passers by on the water.
Respecting the past, designing the future
At HPA we know how hard it is to create real change in attitudes and expectations, but with our years of experience and knowledge of architecture and design in conservation areas, we know how to create the perfect balance. Building in the Lake District and other National Landscapes takes vision, ambition and commitment, to deliver special homes in this very special place. We see the National Park as an ever evolving and engaging place to live, work and enjoy; and we believe that its architecture should reflect this, just like it does in these two magnificent contemporary home designs.
