The Lake House makes a splash!

Award winning Reid Jubb Brown Architecture has seen its spectacular country house design at Ghyllheugh near Longhorsley, Northumberland receive the North East’s first PPS7 planning consent. Constructor and Architect get an early peek at the designs.

Ghyllheugh Lake House is the first design ever to be given the green light without going to appeal, and only the fifteenth to do so since the ‘contemporary country house’ clause was introduced.

When the proposal for the Ghyllheugh Lake House design was submitted to Alnwick District Council, the team worked with the council’s planning officers to secure a positive recommendation at committee. It was approved in March 2009 under PPS7 paragraph 11, a special provision in planning which encourages of new country houses.

Kevin Brown, the architect responsible for ‘Lake House’, as the property has come to be known, said “I’m absolutely delighted that one of the most interesting and demanding commissions of my career has gained the approval of planners and will now become a reality. The Lake House represents the best the North East has to offer in terms of creativity, innovation and technology and has already received international attention. Now thanks to the foresight of Alnwick District Council it will continue to be a major talking point for years to come, showcasing the North East on an international stage.”

The very latest techniques Brown continued “It has been designed in the region; will be built using the very latest techniques by craftsman from the area and will use materials which, where ever possible, will be provided by the Ghyllheugh estate itself and other local sources.”

The basic structure of Lake House is a strong, sculpted shell made from green oak, forming waves and curves. The roof, a timber grid shell structure, was designed not just for its appearance, but because it possesses inherent strength and is economical with the materials used. It is the first time ever this type of design has been used in a domestic building.

“One of our architectural engineers, Luca Biselli from Italy, is a recognised expert in the use of the very latest 3D modelling software technology called Rhino and has been able to design the highly complex roof which, only a few years ago, would have been technically impossible to achieve,” said Brown.

A positive and enhancing impact

Part of the roof will be clad in overlapping lengths of oak from the Ghyllheugh Estate and part will be covered in sedum (a natural alternative to grass which thrives on exposed surfaces).

This decision is the result of Alnwick District Council’s final planning meeting as the council is to be abolished at the end of March and become part of unitary authority Northumberland County Council.

“There are two main elements that need to be assessed in order to decide if the design meets the stringent PPS7 criteria,” said Neil Armstrong, Planning Office, Alnwick District Council. “Firstly, the design should be of the exceptional quality and innovative in nature, truly outstanding and ground breaking. Secondly the design should be assessed to establish if it has a positive and enhancing impact on the surrounding landscape. In both scenarios we determined that, after extensive deliberation and consultation, the proposal more than fulfilled both criteria, raising the standards of design in rural areas.”

Tony Woodcock, director of Tony Woodcock Planning Consultants, who coordinated the project, added “I am delighted we have met the Government’s extremely demanding requirements for new country houses. We have taken enormous care researching the ecology and the landscape history of the Ghyllheugh Estate, enlisting the help of specialists in these fields to ensure the new house not only meets, but exceeds, these requirements. The building will be a huge asset to the region, showing the very best of what the North East can offer in cutting edge design and advanced technology.”

Other consultants working on the project include structural engineers Buro Happold, landscape architect Colin Jubb of Reid Jubb Brown, landscape historian Nick Owen, ecologist Jane Young, woodland management specialist Andrew Hampton and The Landscape Agency.

An absolutely stunning example

Alistair Baldwin, Director at the Landscape Agency, said “We were brought in on this project only recently to effectively co-ordinate the various reports on the ecology, arboriculture, hydrology, history and put them all in context with the demands of PPS7. I really enjoyed my time on the project because it is not often you are given the time to have an intellectual debate on the architectural merits and objectives sought by the designer but in the case of PPS 7 because the standard demanded is so incredibly high it is essential.

“In this particular case Kevin’s design was infl uenced by ancient geometry and the need to apply that to the relationship, in form and MF proportion, between the surrounding landscape and the buildings which needed to be symbiotic.

“I am delighted that we have had such a positive result with the Lake House which is an absolutely stunning example of how a rurally located building can truly compliment and improve its surroundings.”

Construction at the Lake House is expected to commence in 2010.