Modern Family Home, Ipswich

The Overview

This three bedroom, four storey property is located just inside the designated Ipswich Central Conservation Area, alongside the Upper Arboretum, which is an integral part of the separately designated Park Conservation Area. The house, a former stable building, forms a section of the boundary wall to the park.

The Challenge

The principal driver for this project was to replace a dilapidated, semi-derelict 19th century building with a new home fit-for-purpose to meet the needs of modern family life, and most importantly, celebrate its unique parkland setting.

The Solution

We designed a number of exciting proposals for this site. After careful study and site evaluation we decided to re-orientate the house / gables in a North- South Axis to create more defined public and private realms. 

Architecturally, the house has been designed to be traditional in form, mass and to a large extent materials, but with contemporary detailing. The house will therefore represent the past and the future.

The design of the new house maintains a domestic scale, of two principle storeys, with additional accommodation located within the roof space to limit the footprint of the building, which ultimately maximizes the sites potential. The house has been planned for upside-down living, with bedrooms located on the ground floor, and living rooms on the first floor. 

The first floor is designed for modern open-plan living. This space is a continuation of ‘Approach, Entrance and Arrival’, whereby the home’s layout subtly opens-up to reveal its setting with magnificent views and visual connection with the cycles of nature over the surrounding parkland.