Hut Architecture’s recycled bungalow in Sussex featured in TV design contest

An existing 1950's bungalow in a beautiful woodland setting in Peasmarsh, near the Sussex coast, has been extensively remodelled and refurbished in a £400 000 project by Hut Architecture. The original building was cold and damp, with a mess of mis-matched spaces, nasty materials and little relationship to its beautiful setting.

The house will feature on Channel 5’s “I own Britain’s best home” on Thursday April 24 alongside a broad range of other homes, some clearly architect-designed, some the exact opposite. Cast your vote via the special phoneline on the night.

John and Anna Carver’s humble bungalow has been transformed into a sustainable modern family home. The entire 4 bedroom house - floor, walls, and roof - was insulated to bring it up to the highest standards of sustainable construction. The exterior insulation was then enveloped in Siberian larch deliberately left with a rough sawn finish.

The resulting slightly splintery feel to the timber means the building blends almost perfectly into its woodland setting. At certain times of year, the house is literally the same colour and texture as the surrounding woodland.

In place of the former conservatory, a new glass roof encloses a small section of patio to create an indoor/outdoor space linking the kitchen to the outside. The external timber cladding also wraps into the conservatory, further enhancing the feeling of being outside.

The practice designed new double-glazed sliding doors all along the south elevation, replaced and enlarged all the windows, and introduced triple glazed domed skylights so that daylight floods in to the interior spaces, and to maximise the spectacular views of the woodland setting from the bedrooms and living areas.

Internally, simple materials such as rough timber, polished concrete and galvanized steel create an unpretentious building and one that will improve with time and use.