The Crow’s Nest, a bold, yet pragmatic solution for a new holiday home within an active landslip zone after the original building had experienced irreparable damage through repeated, severe ground movement.

2018 Ground Engineering Awards — Shortlisted
2017 UK Property Awards
2017 The American Architecture Prize
2017 International Design Awards — Silver
2017 Structural Awards — Shortlisted
2017 Wood Awards — Shortlisted
2017 The Sunday Times British Homes Awards — Shortlisted

The owners of The Crow’s Nest, a house sitting in an active landslip zone on the clifftops of Lyme Regis were looking to extend the property. However, during the planning process, and following unprecedented rainfall in the winter of 2014, there was subsidence close to the building and the decision was made to replace it entirely.

Eckersley O’Callaghan engineered a structural solution for the new home to prevent future failure. A concrete foundation was cast into the ground with a series of strategically placed dwarf walls built on top of it. A structural steel frame was then laid on top of the walls to act as an adjustable raft in case of future movement. Beneath the frame, there are specific places for mechanical jacks to be positioned so that the house can be securely re-levelled.

Utilising reinforced concrete piles and grillage of ground beams, the foundations allow the building to sit lightly on the landscape while offering the necessary support in the event of movement due to landslip activity.

The lightweight timber frame superstructure is supported off the steelwork. Isolated steel elements exist in the superstructure to help create large open plan spaces and asymmetric roof profiles. This also provides framing for the sliding doors to give dramatic views over the clifftops and the sea beyond.

Location
Dorset, UK

Client
Private

Architect
AR Design Studio

Photography
Martin Gardner | Eckersley O’Callaghan