Beach house. El Ray by Simon Conder Associates.

We’re in Kent, England: wild nature and temporary, improvised buildings. This is the setting for El Ray, a house with a low carbon footprint designed by British architects, Simon Conder Associates incorporating an old railway carriage.



A family lived in an old railway carriage during their summers at Dungeness Beach in Kent. The owners decided to increase the accommodation area and also improve the environmental performance of their home.



The architectm Simon Conder responded with a bell-shaped plan, incorporating the old carriage – refitted as a kitchen – as the home’s centrepiece.



The additions included a sheltered terrace and twin courtyards that are protected from prevailing winds. The different tones of the FSC certified hardwood give the exterior cladding and decking a striped pattern. The roof doubles as an observation deck with sweeping views of the beach and the sea.



Recycled newspaper was used for thermal insulation. A rooftop wind turbine is used to power the house and heat the floorboards in really cold weather.



The fully glazed southern elevation looks over the English Channel. The windows are set back from the edge of the house, creating a kind of canopy that provides shade against the sun in summer. The double-glazing and thermally broken, aluminium sliding doors boost insulation and help save energy.



The result is a carbon neutral house that harmoniously fits into the wild landscape.

Architects: Simon Conder Associates
 http://www.simonconder.co.uk/
Design Team: Simon Conder, Pippa Smith

Completed: July 2008
Photography: Paul Smoothy http://www.paulsmoothy.com