Templeton Ford builds multigenerational home that reinterprets archetypal Sussex houses

A curvy three-tiered roof tops the red brick and tile walls of Clay Rise, a house designed and built by the founders of British studio Templeton Ford in southeast England for their own family.

Architect Andre Templeton Ford and interior stylist Jessica Templeton Ford designed the residence in a village in West Sussex for themselves, their young children and Andre's parents.

Clay Rise, Templeton Ford's debut project, is a contemporary spin on the varied brick architecture of the local village, which includes archetypal homes to decorative Arts and Crafts-style buildings.

The material palette is traditional, with clay bricks forming the base of the walls, and the upper walls clad in a matching clay tile. Clay tiles also cover the roofs, but the sweeping forms give these elements a more unusual profile.

Andre Templeton Ford said that design provided a way of creating character while adhering to planning restrictions that limited the heights of eaves and gutter lines, as well as the overall building height.

"The sweeping roof form emerged as a playful response to the local context and planning constraints," he told Dezeen.

"It became a way to give the building a strong visual identity without increasing its apparent scale."

The couple chose a prefabricated timber frame system to enable a speedy and precise assembly process despite the curved geometry. This was crucial for Andre Templeton Ford, who oversaw the construction, reducing the on-site build time to just two weeks.

"Prefabrication was central to the project's efficiency and delivery," he said. "As an architect also taking on the role of contractor, it provided a high level of cost and programme certainty, particularly for the erection of the superstructure."

Clay Rise stands next to the architect's childhood home, on a plot created within its expansive garden.

The lowest level provides a two-bedroom apartment for the young family, while the main house occupies the upper two floors, giving the grandparents a flexible kitchen, dining and living space and a bedroom suite.

The sloping site made it possible for both homes to have a ground-floor entrance.

Inside, they are connected by a curvaceous CNC-cut staircase, which is coated in lime plaster for a natural finish.

Clay Rise's layout was designed with future adaptability in mind. The 193-square-metre floor plan can be subdivided to create additional rooms on the lower and uppermost floors, providing extra bedrooms or workspaces.

"This adaptability means the house can evolve as the family grows without requiring major structural alteration," said Andre Templeton Ford.

Sapele-wood-framed glazing reveals the high ceilings of the interior.

The north elevation includes an extra-high entryway and a double-height window, which flanks the main stairwell, while the south-facing garden elevation has a recessed wall that is fully glazed.

Jessica Templeton Ford oversaw the design of the interiors, which include timber and stone floors, curved oak handrails and custom joinery made with offcuts from the timber structure.

Lighting slots into curves and recesses in the walls and ceilings, and furniture includes a sculptural stone dining table, a red Pierre Paulin Tongue Chair and a selection of rustic antique finds.

"The ambition was to create a building that is friendly and approachable, yet distinct – grounded, fresh and optimistic rather than nostalgic," added Andre Templeton Ford.

"A key priority was that the house felt respectful to its context while still being expressive, something local people could recognise as belonging to the area, while also feeling confident enough to be a little daring."

Other English houses recently featured on Dezeen include a leaf-shaped dwelling in the Cotswolds countryside by Michaelis Boyd and The Cornwall Retreat by De Rosee Sa.

The photography is by French + Tye.

Project credits

Architect: Templeton Ford
Structural engineer: ADEPT Consulting
M&E consultant: Wells Sustainability
Quantity surveyor: Liberty QS
Project manager: Andre Ford
Approved building inspector: Compliance
Main contractor: Andre Ford/self build

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