Rock Lodge was constructed around 1933 and further extended in the 1970’s. The building is a 2-storey detached dwelling with a painted pebble dashed exterior and pitched rosemary clay tiled roof.

The internal layout of the property was not working for the homeowners and the house was in need of updating. The external appearance of the property made the house “a poor relation” to its neighbours on The Wynding. The exterior was very plain with none of the details and features that the neighbouring more characterful properties displayed.

The house is within the Northumberland Coast AONB and Heritage Coast designated areas, as well as having visual connections to Bamburgh Conservation Area and the Grade I Listed Bamburgh Castle. The design proposals had to enhance and conserve the character of these protected assets whilst meeting our client’s brief to create a modern family home which maximised visual connections to its special surroundings.

The internal layout was rationalised with improved flow between rooms, set around a new central location for the staircase. On the west end of the house an extension took the place of a garage and greenhouse, locating the new open plan kitchen/dining/living area in the prime location for sunlight and views toward Bamburgh village, open countryside and Holy Island to the north.

Externally the appearance has been enhanced to create a clearly contemporary property. The addition of the frameless glazing 2-storey bay window to the front contributes to its new modern character and is a focal point for this public elevation. The form and detailing of the bay is a contemporary interpretation of the bays to the neighbouring properties. Inside the bay, views to to the Castle and over the dunes to the beach and sea beyond are maximised.

The property was re-rendered, insulated and the roof replaced in a similar style to the existing. All windows and doors were replaced with high-performance double-glazed powder coated aluminium fittings.

The single storey garden room extension, new car port and new external stores are designed to have a slightly different character so they appear subservient to the main body of the house. These are clad to appear more lightweight, and have flat roofs to limit their overall mass.

The works included upgrading the existing garden to the front to provide a welcoming entrance and sunken seating area to catch the morning sun and to the rear a vehicle turning area and patio areas for external amenity connected to the living accommodation.

The existing fabric was upgraded in excess of Part L requirements alongside highly insulated new build elements providing a fabric first approach to the project. A green roof was included to the car port increasing the biodiversity on the site.

The construction phase began in June 2020, during the COVID 19 pandemic and continued through the lockdown period. Despite the pressures this brought to the project, the contractor and design team, worked effectively and to ensure the works progressed in a timely manner. The project completed in April 2021.