Ty-Hedfan House by Featherstone Young
Featherstone Young designed the Ty-Hedfan house in the town of Brecon, Wales.
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Project description
Ty-Hedfan is a new house perched above a river in a small village at the top of a valley, five miles from Brecon and the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park. The site is quite unique, sloping down to the confluence of two rivers, Ysgir Fach and Ysgir Fawr, that run across the length of the property. Ty-Hedfan, meaning ‘hovering house’ takes full advantage of this river side location. Because of a statutory 6m no-build zone along the river bank, it cantilevers the main living areas up to the river bank and elevates them amongst the trees. The house is a further exploration of the practice’s interest in highly site specific and contextual architecture, taking its cue from the traditional Welsh long house form, using local materials such as slate and stone and by fully utilizing the typography of the site to create a striking and unique form.
The house totals 2400sqft (223sqm) of internal living space which is split into two quite differently constructed wings: The main house wing has the cantilevered living room and a double height kitchen and dining spaces that open onto an elevated courtyard overlooking the garden, river and countryside. The upper floor of this wing, partially within the roofspace, contains 2 bedrooms and bathrooms. The second wing is perpendicular to the first and partially buried into the sloping ground. It has a gently sloping green sedum roof that appears to be an extension of the garden behind. This wing comprises two guest bedrooms and a study room with bed mezzanine, all with full height windows and doors opening up onto a riverside deck. Punctuating the green roof are irregular shaped rooflights bringing ample daylight into this semi sunken area.
Architecture: Featherstone Young
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Raul Alfaro on 01 Oct 2012 at 1:12 am #
Really nice project. Beauty game of volumes and forms and very good job in plant and section. Modern, with class and nice design. Homeful inner spaces with good furnitures. Amazing enviroment.
VERY GOOD JOB. Congratulations from Barcelona.
Susan on 01 Oct 2012 at 8:14 am #
Amazing design, to have a bird’s eye view of Wales ‘ nature and to capture a design that let’s nature pass through the glass design in it’s self is remarkable. The colors showing reflect the blue sky and the green in color. The rock design gives the entire building a feeling of being encased in nature and beauty all around. Better than a good job, excellent concept of blending man with nature in a modern living project. Excellent Design.
Peter Sakkis on 01 Oct 2012 at 11:45 am #
Yeah, I wish a lot more architectural offices were actively pursuing a site specific and contextual architecture and fully utilizing the topography for deriving their forms.
Beautiful results. Bravo.
Mike Gilbert on 08 Oct 2012 at 6:38 pm #
Agreed on all counts, Peter. The home integrates so well with its surroundings. I can only imagine how serene life must be with the sound of rushing water.