Rodić Davidson Architects

North Vat, Dungeness

(Multiple Values:) Rodic Davidson Architects North Vat(Multiple Values:) Rodic Davidson Architects North Vat(Multiple Values:) Rodic Davidson Architects North Vat(Multiple Values:) Rodic Davidson Architects North VatNorthVat_Floorplan_1NorthVat_Floorplan_3Rodic Davidson Architects North VatUntitled (50)(Multiple Values:) Rodic Davidson Architects North Vat(Multiple Values:) Rodic Davidson Architects North Vat(Multiple Values:) Rodic Davidson Architects North VatIMG_1002(Multiple Values:) Rodic Davidson Architects North Vat(Multiple Values:) Rodic Davidson Architects North Vat(Multiple Values:) Rodic Davidson Architects North VatRDA aerial view

All imagesClose

North Vat replaces an existing fisherman’s cottage in Dungeness’s unique shingle landscape. The house was conceived as a ‘cluster’ of small shed-like structures, referential to the local vernacular of pitched roof huts, scattered along the beach front. At the heart of the scheme were enthusiastic clients seeking to break away from conventional layout and form.

The plan form of the proposed cluster was derived from the locations of the existing sheds and cottage, minimally adjusted to provide a simple living layout whilst maintaining a low impact on the ground ecology and sustaining the sense of randomness that we found in the original buildings.

Each of the three rooms is a separate physical structure linked to the other two by frameless glazing. This allows an uninterrupted flow of internal spaces, without diminishing the original cluster character.  Walking in and out of the rooms feels just like walking in and out of the landscape.

Windows and roof lights were thought of as ‘paintings’. They have been arranged around moments of pause within the plan to frame particular views and to track the movement of sunlight which transforms the spaces during the day.  At night, the black clad building disappears and its presence is revealed by these frames of interior life.

Siniša Rodić commented “The existing sheds and cottage were clad in black timber. We felt that the site’s contribution to the larger scale assembly of black buildings and clusters was important to retain. There is a sense of a bigger project taking place in Dungeness which we felt we were contributing to. Our piece was about the inherent beauty of simple ‘elemental’ forms and how these can create complex spaces and experiences within a cluster.. All architectural clutter was removed in favour of creating an almost abstract form”.

Winner, RIBA South East Regional Awards 2016
Longlist, RIBA House of the Year 2016
Shortlist, Manser Medal 2016

Completed 2015, Private Client
RD Architects, London Office
Photographs by Hélène Binet

Read moreless
(Multiple Values:) Rodic Davidson Architects North VatTD_01Rodic Davidson InteriorsRodic Davidson ArchitectsBelgravia Town HouseAlfriston Road, WandsworthSt Mary Abbots KensingtonGarden Square Apartment, KensingtonRodic Davidson ArchitectsListed Farmstead, SuffolkPlanning Consent for 7-storey mixed-use residential building in LambethGrade 2 Listed Apartment Renovation KnightsbridgeNew Build Home in St John’s WoodWimbledon HouseTurner StudiosMarket Place, ReadingRDA Apartment Scheme SouthwarkTown House, Chelsea2012_0425 Brandsby Hall 21Rodic Davidson Architects Cambridge Workshop02IMG_6492_editSAAmbassadors 2Former Embassy Kensington kit 26Sliding RoofR0016543_1CF023091WillPryce_008897_CPDSC08930 – CopyIMG_0504WillPryce_5102_FL – 2
Close

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Find out more about cookies and your privacy here.