Alter completes series of homes on the Sussex Downs

Architect’s view

We designed the Valley View Gardens dwellings for a local female entrepreneur. Her brief was to design a series of houses on a backland plot of land. The derelict land, behind a semi-detached row of suburban houses posed problems with restrictions of access, privacy and overlooking.

Innovation comes in the form of a traditional building material teamed with an architectural and sculptural solution. Pivotal, while being sculptural, each house has been designed to slice a traditional gable building mass in four and slide the larger monopitch form forward, opening an opportunity to shield views, provide covered access and control natural light.

Shaping natural lighting comes in many forms throughout the houses; on approach one looks up at the sky framed by the hole cut through the balancing mass – a glass screen flanks the hit-and-miss brick screen, light trickles down to the entrance. Entering the building the staircase is flooded with white light – views to the rear garden are framed by panel glazing.

The staircase design is aligned with the brick façade – the hit-and-miss nature of the whitewashed timber stair, vertical shapes cast bands of light and shadow dance across the inner brick wall. The open tread staircase leads to a bridge flooding light below and aligning bedrooms and views across the levels. The top bedroom is mottled with the patterned light reflected on the glass screen from the hit-and-miss brickwork; views are minimised into small brick format images – the whole picture is distilled.

Characterised by light-coloured patterned brickwork and striking slate roofs, Valley View Gardens' palette is intended to oppose the existing context – bring about something new, a balance between polarities.
Grant Shepherd, director, Alter Architects

Client’s view

This project has been a long-term vision for us, to grow our portfolio and a desire to invest in properties of the future. Alter Architects took the time to understand and explore key aspects of our brief – go beyond and deliver our vision. The result is profound, a transformation like nothing else in the area. We have difference and diversity in a somewhat suburban English place. The architects looked carefully at different housing models, identifying constraints and opportunities, creatively applying these insights for our site. The joy comes from how user-friendly these buildings are. There is an ease of flow when moving through the spaces; an openness and visual connectivity throughout the development.
Marie Bingham-Smith, client