Perched high on a limestone cliff, this home overlooks the dramatic, windswept coastline of the Gower Peninsula, South Wales. The brief from the client was simple: to provide a deeply personalized and contextual home that could balance the family’s work and life as they relocate from London to find peace in the countryside.
Drawing from the vernacular of the local area to the intense Welsh winds and rain, the design embodies and embraces the remote coastal nature of the site. On the ground floor, a robust, heavy material palette responds to the medieval tradition of dry stone walling, offering a sense of protection from the elements. Within this, sharply defined portal windows with integrated seating frame views toward the horizon.
The structural logic of the home explores a dialogue between light and heavy building elements, creating distinct atmospheres across levels. Beneath a bold, confident roof form, timber beam construction on the upper floors references the nearby agricultural buildings. The beams visually and symbolically separate the house’s mass, mirroring the distinction between social and private spaces in the layout. The interior interacts with the shifting coastal light throughout the day, with the kitchen oriented toward the rising sun, living spaces catching midday light, and the master bedroom positioned to face the sunset.
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