Marsh Hill is a one-off house built in an isolated position overlooking the estuary of the River Alde in Suffolk. It commands magnificent views across the marshland to the river. Located in an area of outstanding beauty, the house hovers over the landscape like a seagull’s wing.

Flooding of the site in 2013 by exceptionally high tides led to the house owners installing local flood defences on the site and commissioning a flood proof house raised from the ground. Local planning rules imposed restrictions on the height of the house, which could not exceed the height of the previous house or disrupt views from a dwelling to the north. The form of the house is a creative response to these conditions as well as to the site itself, which slopes upwards by approximately two metres from east to west. The new house maps the landscape, opening up an expansive south elevation to views of the wetlands, and locating private spaces on an upper level in the easterly end of the plan. Constructed from a timber frame, it is clad entirely in white painted brickwork and dramatized by a sweeping zinc roof which wraps down the south elevation, reflecting both water and sky. 

The house is entered from the northern end through a projecting entrance. The hallway opens up into a tall living space, revealing the twist of the roof. Beyond the main living area steps lead down to a kitchen and dining area with large sliding windows opening the room to the southerly views.

A generous hallway leads to the guest bedrooms and bathrooms to the west while stairs from the living room lead up to the master bedroom suite and study, nestled into the high point under the roof to the east.

Environmental strategies are cleverly concealed in the build: a landscape of native coastal planting and meadow grasses conceal the ground source heat pump coils which heat the house; water is supplied from an on-site well, and waste water is disposed of through a treatment plant and drainage field.

Painted brick also appears inside, with monolithic masonry blocks separating the living and dining areas and punctuating the guest bedroom corridor. A simple palette is created with a colour scheme of cool blues, whites and greys and a recycled clay flooring that brings warmth and character. Reclaimed bricks from Poland are cut and polished throughout the main space, and a bespoke terrazzo floor made of Norfolk flint and slate chippings is laid in the lower level.  Elsewhere, encaustic patterned tiles and stained oak create rich detail in smaller rooms.