Name: Terry & Alison Clarke
Project Type: New-build
Size: 349m²
Floor Coverings: Ceramic, quarry & flagstone tiles; solid wood
Floors: Screed
Zones: 14

“Idyllic”, “breathtaking”. Superlatives abound when describing the stunning setting of Terry and Alison Clarke's RIBA Awardwinning new home set on a hillside with uninterrupted 180° views to the English Channel.

The new home, which has an unusual design of two masonry cubes with double curved roofs supported by green oak trusses and planted on the outside with sedums and mosses, sits happily against its wooded backdrop. The pale pink walls typical of traditional vernacular architecture in the area.

The Clarkes wanted their home to be, “contemporary in style, with masses of light flooding in and a free-flowing, open plan, easy-to-maintain interior”. This has certainly been achieved to wonderful effect without compromising comfort.

To maintain the uncluttered feel, warm water underfloor heating was the obvious choice for the house and Nu-Heat the company to supply it. Natural slate, stone, wood and carpeted floors all perform well with underfloor heating; there is no ugly hardware to intrude on the clean lines of the interior spaces.

Are the Clarkes happy with their choice? Alison Clarke says,

“This site is fairly exposed to sea winds, but the whole house is always as warm as we want it. The heating is very flexible; easy to use and adjust; there are never cold spots. We are very pleased.”

Although Nu-Heat can't take any credit for the award winning architecture, the company likes to think it contributed to the feeling of comfort and style the house exudes, making it a real winner.