Cliff Bank

Location: Ventnor, Isle of Wight
Client: Private Developer
Date: Planning Permission 2007

A proposed development for 10 sustainable ‘eco’ flats and a 3-bedroom house on the Isle of Wight. The project addresses generic island issues of a steeply sloping site, ground instability, difficult access and the need to respond sensitively to a Victorian seaside context. A pair of tall buildings is proposed, to manage the dramatic change in level from street to rear. To the street the building presents a three-storey elevation in coloured render. At the rear a garden elevation of large windows and balconies faces south with views across the cliff to the sea. The new timber-framed private house sits within the lush gardens. ‘Super-insulation’, rainwater-harvesting, solar thermal panels and a shared biomass boiler are all integrated into the construction.