Paragraph 80 flood proof house

When you have to design something which can complement a house of great stature and national press, there are many thoughts that cross your mind. One of fear, maybe a little trepidation but mainly excitement. It's a brief any studio aspires to have and a real opportunity for a one-off piece of architecture which communicates harmoniously with its site conditions. Our client who already built a grand designs house on a flood plain was keen to explore options on the remaining part of their land. Having a house designated as Paragraph 80 poses its own complications. There are dynamics to meet in order for consideration and the local authority will not just permit any design. So our ambitions already exceeded the approach of a conventional brief. As mentioned the site is prone to heavy flooding and is shown to be completely submerged by 2030. This provokes a responsive architectural form and one which can withstand unforeseen changes in climate. The elevated living space sits above the ground providing solace and security. A place to view the ever-changing dynamics of nature. The building performs like a living organism, it adapts to various light conditions, improves quality of ventilation, and encourages propagation. Externally, a screen encloses spaces and protects them from overheating whilst preserving any occupant from overlooking. The pattern organically manifested from exploration of feathers, which seemed complimentary as the site is known for inhabiting protected species of birds. We investigated how buildings can co-exist in areas which experience extreme weather and in other cases even completely surrounded by water. These examples illustrated possibilities into how we can evolve our built environment. Leading exploration into technology and structural techniques pushing forward new frontiers. Such as buoyant foundations, which are currently being tested in parts of America post-hurricane disasters. Our design methodology was clear and took guidance from post-modernist design, evoking a purism in material pallet, spatial hierarchy and aesthetics.