Ditchling
, East Sussex, 2024
We are working on the redevelopment of a 1970's bungalow on the edge of Ditchling in the South Downs National Park in East Sussex. The existing building is in a poor state of repair with minimal opportunities to upgrade and a limited remaining lifespan. Our approach has been driven by a careful analysis of the existing fabric and its viability for reuse, either in its current state or reformed for a second life, to limit the embodied carbon associated with the construction and find a sensitive contextual language for the protected landscape.
Along with the retention of the existing carbon heavy concrete foundations and ground slabs we are developing a bespoke masonry external walling that reuses the demolition brick from the existing property in a new rammed outer skin. Not only does the reuse of this locally manufactured brick impact the appearance of the masonry - offering a red/brown hue that helps bind the building to its context - but the crushed brick has pozzolanic properties that allow us to minimise the cement content.
Planning permission has been granted and the project is scheduled to start on site early next year.
Project: Ditchling
Design Team: Florencia Aranda Rodriguez (project architect), Sandy Rendel, Leonardo Remuzzi
Collaborators: Akera Engineers (Structural Engineer), Whaleback (Planning Consultant)
Client: Confidential
Building type: New build, Residential
Location: East Sussex, UK
Status: Planning Approval 2024