Introduction
This was an especially exciting project to become involved with which many remark that it appears to look like a superyacht has merged into the hillside. There was no existing building and the site is very long and narrow, only being 15 metres wide from boundary to boundary. This created significant architectural and design challenges. The complexity of the project was heightened by the fact that the planners were unwilling to accept anything but minimal visual impact on the landscape. Thus developed the idea to work on an “iceberg architecture” concept – building down instead of up. From a design point of view space planning had to be at its most creative, ensuring a natural flow through the property despite the constraints of the plot. As the majority of the house was to be subterranean, it was also vital to maximise light within the house with as much natural light as possible, whilst complementing and supporting that with strategically placed artificial lighting.