House in Wells for three generations

archipeleco was appointed to redesign a large house on the outskirts of Wells to change it from a single family house into a home for two families. The house needed to accommodate three generations who wanted to share some parts of the house but wanted to have the ability to live separately as well. The brief also called for a new self-contained annex for the clients’ son to live in independently so the house was, in effect, for three families. The client came to archipeleco because they wanted sustainability incorporated into the design from the outset.

The existing house had many attractive features but also had it’s share of problems that needed to be resolved. The challenge was to keep the house looking like a single family home while making it function like two/three houses. Lots of additional floor area was needed to accommodate the clients’ brief (approximately double) and archipeleco worked closely with the client to develop the design and to secure planning approval.

The house was designed to maximise natural daylight and the excellent views to the surrounding countryside. Solar panels and innovative building materials were used in the construction including single skin extruded clay blocks. The client was very active in the whole process and acted as the site manager during the building process. This allowed them to save a significant amount of money and to fine tune some of the details during the construction.