Dune House

Always with the planning commissions!

In order to get permission to build on this site, the design of Norwegian architecture firm Jarmund/Vigsnaes Arkitekter had to relate to the existing strip of typical British seaside houses.  The result is Dune House, situated in Thorpeness, on the Suffolk coast.  The roof’s shape and the second floor both take the formal presence of those homes and play with it.  The design also brings to mind the romantic feelings of bed-and-breakfasts found throughout the United Kingdom.  The ground floor, however, contrasts this with a deliberate lack of relationship to the second floor.  Set into the dunes to protect it from the strong winds, the lower level is encased in floor-to-ceiling windows.  The result is that the dark, visually heavy roof appears to float atop a light, almost invisible, foundation.