Shell House — WILL HOARE ARCHITECTS

A well known and much loved landmark building on the historic Strand in Topsham, Shell House required significant and sensitive adaptation and restoration work on its interior to bring it back to life. With a timber panelled living room and hand carved ceilings by Grinling Gibbons, Britains most celebrated wood carver, this project was heritage restoration of the highest order. During the work numerous historic features were uncovered and carefully restored and the house gently modernised to provide a beautiful home for the new owners. To provide a large workspace for the artist owners and complement the restored house, a modern timber artists studio was constructed looking out over the blissfully serene river Exe, in a detached garden at the front of the property.

Working closely with the Conservation Officer we were able to design a modern home within the strict confines of a significant Listed building, introducing features such as a new yoga studio and guest bedroom in the loft adding valuable floorspace and opening up a previously inaccessible part of the building. Other more original parts of the building were painstakingly restored, such as the main stair hall which now functions as a gallery for the owners paintings.

17th century grade 2. ballustrade stairs.jpg

17th century grade 2. 17th century grade 2. listed .jpg

The modern art studio was designed to make the most of the stunning uninterrupted views across the River Exe to the marshes providing a peaceful backdrop to the art studio space, with a seating area and a covered veranda running up the waters edge. The building was designed to provide precise amounts of north light to the painting studio and the materials and form of the building were based on the New England Saltbox House providing a familiar reflection of home for the American owners.

The project provided opportunities to modernise an historic home, restore an important heritage asset to it’s former glory, and create a large light filled contemporary artist workspace, all within Grade II Listed setting and on a tight town centre site. The success riding on an excellent Client-Architect relationship and a unified vision for what the property could become.