Broad Street House is new build home
in Suffolk by Nash Baker Architects.
The house utilises a palette of natural
and traditional materials to blend with
the rural street scene, and the exterior
uses oak cladding and handmade bricks
(both locally sourced) to blend with the
architectural character of the village. To
create a more distinctive look, the bricks
were laid in a variation of ‘Monks bond’
using white iron-free sand for the lime
mortar which was sourced from the local
Wivenhoe pit. “We wanted to ensure that
the architectural expression would be
contemporary and of its time whilst in its
materiality being nevertheless reflective of
local vernacular traditions.”
The client’s brief was to replace the
incongruous pre-existing 1980’s building
with an exceptional contemporary
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home that was both sympathetic to the
neighbouring properties, whilst still
being of its time. They required an open
plan living arrangement that on the
ground floor would provide them with
dedicated work rooms for their respective
professional activities as silversmith and
baker, and a first floor, that could take
advantage of the natural daylight and the
expansive views across the marshes to
Orford Ness, and the coast beyond.
In contrast to the brickwork at the ground
floor, the upper level appears lightweight,
utilising ribbons of untreated oak cladding
to wrap up and across a pitched roof.
The oak cladding was sized to match
the brick course dimensions, so that
the two elements of construction have a
complimentary design intent.