Courtesy of CoolStays
Courtesy of CoolStays
Courtesy of CoolStays
Courtesy of CoolStays
Courtesy of CoolStays
Courtesy of CoolStays
Courtesy of CoolStays
Courtesy of CoolStays
Courtesy of CoolStays
Platform 5 Architects designed this shingled eco-home which sits on its own private lagoon in the UK’s Norfolk Broads.
Backwater was originally built for the practice’s director, architect Patrick Michell. It has a steeply pitched, gabled roofline, designed to evoke the shapes of boat sheds that dot the nearby waterways around Wroxham.
The four-bedroom UK holiday home is clad in contrasting dark timber and blonde shingles, while its front facade features huge expanses of glass that make the most of its waterfront setting. The house sits above the waterline, allowing floodwater to flow beneath its shaded timber deck.
Interiors meanwhile are fresh and modern. A spiral staircase ascends through the double-height hallway, which is lit by a skylight and leads to the master bedroom and a home studio/bedroom.
Two more bedrooms can be found in the bedroom wing of the house – which scooped the 2017 RIBA East Award and is available to rent via Cool Stays from £1,420 per week. They are orientated to frame views of reedbeds and the house’s private jetty.
The kitchen and dining room are set across the ground floor of the central bay, which opens out onto the front deck via sliding glass doors, while the double-height living room sits inside the third. Here a huge wood-burning stove acts as a focal point of the space.
While rooms across the ground floor have a flowing floor plan, they can be broken up to create cosy spaces via sliding wooden doors, and the practice also designed bespoke furniture for its interiors.
The Norfolk property is also largely self-sufficient and is powered by solar panels with its own water and sewage treatment system on site.
