Estuary boat house in Appledore

A commercial viability study redeveloping disused docks and warehouses into one-off boathouse style homes

OCRA have been asked to develop concepts to test the commercial viability and market interest of redeveloping two disused docks and warehouses in Appledore, Devon. Our designs look to create two raised contemporary boathouse style homes on a redundant slipway site.

The intention is to remove the existing timber slipway structure to reveal the sloping concrete which forms the extent of the site.

Modern kitchen in new build home north devon

Initially the team looked at developing a floating structure but after discussion with the client on the viability of the scheme, the intention is now to propose a building which is raised to allow a boat to dock underneath.

The walkway alongside the boat parking space below leads to a staircase rising into the main living area from beneath, where it arrives in a vaulted space forming the main entrance from the land approach. The ground floor has been organised around a services pod to the rear of the house with a contemporary kitchen facing onto the open plan living dining area. The living area is capped with a large glazed screen set back to create a semi sheltered terrace area that overlooks the estuary.

Upstairs the master bedroom looks over the double height living area and through the slated wood to the gable elevation to provide views and privacy within the space. The second bedroom looks back over the land and the private courtyard gardens that will be created on the old service yard of the dock buildings.

The external cladding of a blackened standing seam roof and timber cladding looks to pick up on the historic pallet of materials that would have been seen on the site but have been detailed to ensure a clean contemporary finish to the dwellings.

This project continues OCRA involvement with commercial developers and aiding in assessing sites at an early stage.