Ness House | Vaughan Keal

"Stunning" was the comment of the Local Authority Head of Planning. "It does look fantastic" said the Area Planning Officer. "Well worth all the strife" from the LA Architect and "Quality Design" from the Planning Services Operatios Manager.....

The site was all about the amazing views across the North Sea, so it was designed to reinforce it's grand position, on entry, following twisting, winding narrow paths and drive you meet a threshold to the grounds where the sea view is cradled between the wings of the building form. It set-off the sculpture of the main house, with it's sinuous glazing sliding around the outer perimeter. Every room in the house has a connection to that view of the sea, anti-architecture in a way, celebrating and reinforcing the essence of the site. Inside and outside merge into one, literal and phenomenal transparency the aim. A spiritual lift.

Light fills the home no matter where the sun is positioned, though the view is east, clerestory glazing is added to the protective, sheltering back, with light wells and glass blocks, when the sun sets the orange glows enliven the interior even after the joy of the south and east daytime. All to add that spiritual lift.

Inspired by Stahl House [Case Study #22], the iconic 20th Century Hollywood Hills masterpiece in LA, America.....this design paid homage while being it's own piece and as the client said to a much higher standard. He visited the LA house after his was built, and confessed to being crest fallen- it was the principles employed that counted.

An economy in structural engineering was adopted, using fast pre-fabricated elements including a German industrial product of self-spanning steel trays to allow large spans and long over-hangs of the winglike roof. The "strife" coming from building on a cliff edge with Coastal Defence Engineers involved in protecting their sea wall! We found unique ways of meeting legislation and resolving high level technical conflicts in this demanding position.

This passive and active solar design transfers summer peak energy to the insulated foundations below which re-radiate the heat during the winter. A thermal seasonal store multiplied by a thermal store water system, and solar panels with heat-pump and mechanical heat vent recovery, make this a highly technical building behind the minimal calm styling.

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