Cantilever House, Middle Stoke - Designscape Architects
It's just a pure rectangle with good proportions acting like a telescope looking out to the view
When posed with this precariously perched project, Chris Mackenzie of Designscape architects took a condemned building that was sliding down the hill, and created a home that found the perfect balance between form and function.
Bedded back into the Bath Stone of the Valley and then projected out into the views beyond, this cantilevered home in Middle Stoke gained critical acclaim for its ingenious approach by being shortlisted for the Daily Telegraph Home and Renovation awards.
One of the main elements of the brief was to be able to soak in the views and enjoy the surroundings regardless of the weather. The cantilever not only frames a jaw-dropping view from the first floor out across the valley, but also provides a year-round covered area below. A masterful solution and one that creates a series of striking vistas not only from the house but also back toward it.
Clever use of larch cladding sets the cantilever off perfectly against the more traditional Bath stone of the area. The juxtaposition is a joyful play against the local vernacular - ancient bedrock creating a launchpad for this modern black rectangle.
