Paul Cashin Architects has sensitively reworked a rural dwelling in West Sussex
Built in 1830, Island Cottage is located in a conservation area at the southern limit of Sidlesham Quay village in West Sussex. Highlighted by the local council as a key example of vernacular domestic architecture, the house is also sited in a major flood risk area. The ‘precarious context’, coupled with a series of insensitive and cumbersome extensions and additions, led Paul Cashin Architects to adopt a highly considered approach to refurbishing the dwelling.
The brief was to restore the cottage and reconcile its history of unsuitable extensions to the Sidlesham landscape and Pagham beyond. “The original house could not be experienced amongst the labyrinthine rooms and corridors, and it’s identity was lost to recent additions and refurbishments”, explains practice principal Paul Cashin. “Our first move was to establish the lines of the original cottage and draw a single route through the house. This is experienced as a simple door from the library at the formal end of the building, leading from north to south straight towards the rear garden on both floors. By reinstating the library and guest bedrooms and bathrooms above, we were able to distinguish the original cottage from the later additions. We were then challenged by the new owners to provide a calm and protective series of spaces that make links to the landscape of the coast.”
Internally, the cottage takes the natural materials of the surrounding coastline, such as flint and timber, and uses them to dress walls and floors. “The design proposal included making sense of the downstairs spaces by allowing a flowing movement between the rooms”, says Cashin. “Views through and across the house are opened up to help navigate the maze-like spaces. Each room is open on many sides, while limiting the number of corridors and split levels.”
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The first floor accommodates three bedrooms, each with a different style and outlook. The main living space incorporates a corner window, referencing an open book set into the wall at desk height. Log burners, sliding doors, and uncovered historic materials form part of the main reception rooms. Many the internal finishes and fixtures are sourced from salvage yards and online second hand boutiques.
Externally, larch cladding is combined with new timber-framed windows, and a series of timber loggias set into the gardens. The roof is accessible and allows for informal gatherings on a grass terrace, with views over the garden to the nature reserve and beyond. A bung to the garden edge is designed to alleviate the risk of flooding. This also encourages native plant species to inhabit the external timber structure, further connecting the house to its site.
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