Clifftop Home – Portreath

With an initial design brief to create a home like Tracy Island, home of the Thunderbirds, this was never going to be a traditional home!

Working closely with the client, CSA Architects came up with initial designs that met the requirements, and liaised with the Parish Council before the design was submitted for planning consent. An excellent example of how the process can work, as the design was approved on the first presentation.

In the immediate vicinity of the plot there are some former military bunkers or storage structures; concrete, but now being consumed by the natural landscape. This combination of man-made and natural strongly influenced the design, with crisply rendered box-form set against a sweeping entrance and curved rear terrace. The sharp jointing in the stonework on the ground floor was a labour of love by the contractors responsible, and this attention to detail helps make this an exceptional property.

The original building on the site was in the rear corner, facing the wrong way to take advantage of the fantastic sea views, so the new home was placed to the front, and angled so that the length of the frontage faces out to sea. A wide sweeping wall draws the eye to the entranceway, and echoes the curve of the surrounding landscape and cliffs.

The interior is spacious, and flows together, with the owners commenting that it is a wonderful party house, and they are delighted with International Rescue’s Cornwall base.