Possingworth Estate House 

Client: Private

Location: Heathfield, East Sussex

Architect’s team: Sam Launders

Planning permission: Granted March 2022 

Contractor: Self-built

Structural Engineer: EAR Sheppard Civil & Structural

Area: 260 sq m

Completion: 2026

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This project is not quite what it first appears. It is, in fact, a complete retrofit and reimagining of a 1960s bungalow, beautifully positioned on an elevated 1.7acre garden within the Possingworth Estate in East Sussex.

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Over the years, the original bungalow had been heavily altered and extended, resulting in an unfortunate and disjointed collection of additions.

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Our work extends the building at both ends — creating a new living room on one side and a master bedroom suite on the other. The key rooms now open onto a southwest facing elevated veranda, which overlooks the garden and steps down to a lower terrace and the lawn beyond. The generous overhang of the veranda also provides essential shading to the extensive glazing, helping to prevent overheating.

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We have reclad and insulated the existing structure to give the home a unified architectural presence alongside the new extensions. The exterior is finished in black stained timber, while the garden facing veranda is lined in heat treated British softwood. At the entrance, black treacle tiles offer a contemporary nod to the local tradition of mathematical tiles.

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The extensions are constructed in masonry and supported by glulam beams and posts. The original pitched roof is now finished in black standing seam steel, with the surrounding flat roofs completed in black EPDM rubber.

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Construction works commenced in late 2022 at a time of rocketing inflation in construction costs. Our client made the brave decision to self build. The task was immense, their dedication to maintain the design admirable and three years later the resulting home is fabulous.

 

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