S A L I S B U R Y: I T S L I F E A N D T I M E S
The wonderfully restored Ansty Plum
AWARDS
A GRAND DESIGN Of course, we all know that Wiltshire is brim full of gorgeous houses of every style and era, but it’s always nice to be recognised and so we are very proud to reveal that a Wiltshire home, Ansty Plum, has been nominated for the 2016 RIBA House of the Year award. The award is run by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and every year they search high and low across the nation for excellence in housing, designed by a British architect. Ansty Plum (not surprisingly located in Ansty!) has been re-designed by architects Coppin Dockray and it certainly fits the remit of a very special house. The 1960s modernist home has been lovingly renovated and resurrected with sensitivity to its original incarnation and transformed into a light, comfortable place with careful thought to recreating the space for viable modern living. It’s carbon emissions have also been reduced by 80 per cent. Sited on a steep, wooded slope, the house, originally designed by David Levitt in 1964, had fallen into disrepair and was uninhabitable for much of the year. The challenge for Coppin Dockray was to insulate and heat the building without undermining its original form. A new kitchen, study, bedroom joinery, bespoke furniture and floor finishes were added. New
windows, heating, lighting, an air source heat pump and insulation were also added. The re-build has kept in mind the spirit of the original design, despite some dramatic changes – such as replacing the original brick floor to allow for central heating. In this instance, stock paving slabs surface ground down to the aggregate allowed for such fundamental changes while retaining the look and feel of the original floor. The stone shell of the dilapidated studio adjacent to the house was also renovated to provide an accommodation annexe featuring a bedroom, shower room and storage subspace, sitting above a garage. The space is lined with timber to create an almost nostalgic atmosphere in keeping with its 60s heritage. The judges for the 2016 RIBA House of the Year award are former award winners Meredith Bowles from Mole Architects; Charlotte Skene Catling from Skene Catling de la Pena; Jonathan Dallas from Dallas Pierce Quintero; Elle Stathaki Architecture Editor for Wallpaper* and Phil Thorn, Head of Direct Homes Insurance Hiscox. For more: Ansty Plum is one of seven houses nominated, all of which will feature in a special, fourpart TV series, Grand Designs: House of the Year, for Channel 4, which will air on December 15.
www.mediaclash.co.uk I SALISBURY LIFE I 7