This snug retreat provides a secluded escape for lovers. The 85 year old cottage is located on a remote cove on the rugged windswept coast of Cornwall. The Beach Hut was a teahouse when first built in the 1920′s, but had not been occupied for years and was terribly run-down when purchased by the current owners. They undertook a sympathetic restoration, preserving what they could and only introducing new materials that were compatible with the old. The original character is on display with clapboard siding, a stone chimney, and a weathered porch that overlooks the cove.
This distinctive modern dwelling is a small modular home manufactured in Britain by Boutique Modern Ltd. They produce modular buildings that are designed with sustainability and energy-efficiency in mind. One design element that makes the Edge stand out is its exterior framework of galvanized structural steel. Boutique Modern says it was inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Farnsworth House. The steel framework gives the building the needed strength to be delivered from the factory and lifted into place, and to be relocated again if necessary. Unlike the glass-walled Farnsworth House, the Edge’s framework is filled in with a combination of solid walls interspersed with sections of floor-to-ceiling glass. The oak siding, galvanized steel and glass complement each other quite nicely for a pleasing overall appearance.
This unique small house can be found on the western coast of Scotland’s Isle of Skye. It was designed by the architects from Rural Design Architects to fit in with the vernacular crofters’ cottages and barns of Skye while having its own modern identity. The owners also wanted a low-impact house that would make efficient use of water and energy resources. Building a small house, just 72 m2 (775 ft2) in this case, goes a long way toward achieving that goal.
The house has a shallow-pitched shed roof and a boxy shape that narrows towards the sea, reducing its exposure to the frequent high winds. It is clad in locally sourced Scottish larch boards. The architects raised the house on concrete piers to minimize disturbance of the site. Neighboring residents dubbed it the “Hen House” during construction due to its supposed similarity to the local chicken coops. A small wooden bridge leading up to the entrance door completes the chicken coop imagery.
Nestled into a seaside cliff in Cornwall, England is The Edge, a tiny cottage with huge views. A breath-taking vista of the Atlantic Ocean and coastline can be enjoyed from its deck. The cliffs of Cornwall are dotted with small cottages, typically simple one-story structures with shallow-pitched gable roofs. The Edge updates the traditional Cornish beach hut with modern conveniences and high-end finishes. It was designed by local Cornwall architect Bob Woffenden with interior decor by the owners.
Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama designed this modern beach hut for her own family. Just an hour outside London, it sits on a tiny patch of seashore, one in a row of 25 tiny vacation cottages. Small though it may be, the cozy hut was designed to comfortably accommodate her family of four during vacations stays in its 388 ft2 (36 m2).
Waterfall Cottage is a 200 year old stone cottage within the Brecon Beacons National Park of Mid Wales. Once part of a large estate, the cottage overlooks a beautiful waterfall and is surrounded by a mix of woodlands and pasture.
Taking a break from the cutting edge Solar Decathlon homes, today we have a small house from the past. The Chalford Roundhouse is one of five similar houses along the Thames and Severn Canal in Gloucestershire, England. They were built in the 1790′s to house the families of canal workers.
Simon Dale and Jasmine Saville are concerned about the affects of fossil fuel use on the environment. To minimize their own environmental impact, they designed their own low-impact home in Wales. Simon and his father-in-law built it with the help of friends. In Simon’s words:
The house was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gives us a unique opportunity to live close to nature. Being your own (have a go) architect is a lot of fun and allows you to create and enjoy something which is part of yourself and the land.
Main tools used: chainsaw, hammer and 1 inch chisel, little else really. Oh and by the way I am not a builder or carpenter, my experience is only having a go at one similar house 2yrs before and a bit of mucking around in between. This kind of building is accessible to anyone. My main relevant skills were being able bodied, having self belief and perseverance and a mate or two to give a lift now and again.
