Research Post: 'The Quest' by Ström Architects

In this post I will be researching a building done by Ström Architects, an architectural firm that focuses on creating modern and luxurious buildings mainly in residential architecture. The building I will be looking at is known as 'The Quest'

 

'The Quest' (2015) by Ström Architects

This is a private residence located in the UK, the clients were a couple with an interest in modern art and they were looking for a home they could retire to. The home was built to replace a bungalow that had been there since the 1900's. According to Ström Architects (2014), "The clients are in their seventies and wanted a comfortable house without internal stairs, a single-storey house was therefore something that we quickly established as a real benefit." This request also made them establish an open plan living area within the house and also fulfilled the clients request for an accessible home for their children and grandchildren. The shape of the house also helped with the arrangement of the interior, the elongated shape of the house works well with the steep slope and also perfectly conceals the home from afar, the vegetation around the house is also a contributing factor. The house extends over the retaining wall thereby creating a parking area and steps along the wall of the parking area leads to the main entrance at the back of the house, "a retaining wall faced in local purbeck stone has been used to visually mask the driveway, maintaining unobstructed views from the living spaces. to deal with the level changes, the house cantilevers over this wall and creates a sheltered undercroft parking area." (Stevens, 2017).

Material such as concrete, timber and glass reflect the simplicity of the structure and the layout of having bedrooms on either side with a centrally positioned living space including kitchen and dining also contributes to that. There is also an implementation of solar panels and floor heating as well. Natural light flows well into the building because of the use of glass and the rooms are concealed in order to maintain privacy from outside through the use of wood panels. I did research on this because of the simplicity and functionality of the design. It is also a one story building that makes use of space very well and these are all features I would like to apply to my own design as well. "The house exemplifies our belief that simplicity and honesty of construction underlie good design. The initial concept and design drivers are instantly recognisable in the building, and we worked to retain this clarity of intent without adding anything unnecessary to the building." (Ström, 2017).

References

Griffiths, A. (2014). Ström Architects designs a cantilevered house hanging over a wall. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2014/05/10/the-quest-house-swanage-strom-architects/ [Accessed 20 Feb. 2024].

Stevens, P. (2017). ström architects cantilevers modern-day bungalow in england from a stone wall. [online] designboom | architecture & design magazine. Available at: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/strom-architects-the-quest-house-dorset-england-02-22-2017/ [Accessed 20 Feb. 2024].

ArchDaily (2017). The Quest / Strom Architects. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/804218/the-quest-strom-architects [Accessed 20 Feb. 2024].