Location: Ely
Client: Private
Status: Complete
Situated within Ely's Conservation Area, this prominent corner plot enjoys exceptional views towards the Cathedral and occupies an important position within the surrounding streetscape. Although the site contained a Victorian detached house, decades of piecemeal alterations had diminished its architectural quality and left it poorly suited to contemporary family life.
Our proposals replace the existing dwelling with a carefully considered new home that responds confidently to its setting. Rather than presenting a single front, the L-shaped plan is designed to turn the corner, creating active frontages to both streets and ensuring the house feels equally at home from every approach. The form also makes the most of long views towards Ely Cathedral while establishing a strong relationship with the neighbouring buildings.
The architecture is composed of two connected two-storey volumes, linked by a lower, single-storey element that reduces the visual impact of the building and protects daylight to the neighbouring property. This arrangement creates a varied internal layout while allowing the house to sit comfortably within its context.
Drawing inspiration from the rich material palette of the Conservation Area, the design combines traditional brickwork with subtle Dutch influences, resulting in a home that feels both rooted in its historic surroundings and unmistakably contemporary.
