REPLACEMENT PROJECT

A n e w v i n t a g e

T h e d r e a m o f o w n i n g a v i n e y a r d l e d o n e f a m i l y t o p u t d o w n r o o t s i n t h e S o u t h D o w n s , r e p l a c i n g a c o l l e c t i o n o f o l d f a r m b u i l d i n g s w i t h a m o d e r n c o u n t r y h o m e

W O R D S A M Y F R E A R S O N P H O T O G R A P H Y J I M S T E P H E N S O N

A glazed orangery wraps around the central tower, which was designed to look like a grain silo in tribute to an old farm building nearby

I N B R I E F –L O C A T I O N Ditchling, East Sussex T Y P E O F P R O P E R T Y Detached new-build B E D R O O M S 6 P R O J E C T S T A R T E D September 2015 P R O J E C T F I N I S H E D April 2017 S I Z E 830sqm L A N D C O S T £850,000 B U I L D C O S T £1,000,000

Agroup of unremarkable barns and brick sheds was the starting point for the house that Sam and Ben Ellis have built in the East Sussex village of Ditchling, on the edge of the South Downs. One of these old agricultural buildings already had planning consent for conversion to a home, so the couple were confident they could convince the planners to swap them for a house of similar size. The estate came with 13 acres that gave Sam and Ben the chance to realise a long-held ambition: to establish their own vineyard in an area that is already a destination for winemakers. ‘We couldn’t have had a better opportunity,’ says Ben. ‘The South Downs has got the same seam of chalk as the Champagne region of France and the conditions are actually better here because of the way the climate is shifting.’

The project was a long time coming. Sam, 47, and Ben, 48, first met 23 years ago when they were working as chartered town planners at a major consultancy in London. Two of their daughters – Georgia, 18, and Ollie, 15 – were born while they were still in the city, but the arrival of Eva, 13, prompted them to move to the country. They settled in Lewes where Ben, now working in property development, had recently completed a project. And with their combined experience in the construction industry, it wasn’t long before they started thinking about building their own home.

Pivoting timber doors allow light into the swimming pool courtyard when the sun has dropped below the level of the garden wall

Thirteen acres gave Sam and Ben the opportunity to realise a long-held ambition: to establish their own vineyard

Ben, Georgia and Sam soak up the sun in the swimming pool courtyard, which includes an outdoor dining area

The couple have their architect, Lap Chan of Brighton-based Morgan Carn Architects, to thank for finding the plot that made it possible. Lap, who had collaborated with Ben on other developments, was involved in the previous planning application for this site, but he also sits on the South Downs’ Design Review Panel so he understood what kind of scheme might be considered acceptable.

The plan for the new house came together quickly because it had to follow the footprint of the demolished buildings. The large barns, which were unsuitable for conversion, were replaced with a series of rectilinear blocks that form the three wings of house, set at right angles to one another so that they create a pair of courtyards. A separate block on the site of a former piggery includes Ben’s office. The original plan was to renovate this brick-walled building, but it later turned out to be beyond repair, so they replaced it.

The central section of the house maintains a barn-like character thanks to its double-height ceiling, giving the family a light-filled kitchen and dining space. The wing branching off to the south contains Sam and Ben’s bedroom, utility rooms, a garage and gym. In the north wing are the girls’ bedrooms, guest rooms, a study for Sam and various living spaces including a movie room.

The architecture brings together the family’s love of modern design with local agricultural building styles, and uses materials such as f lint, brick and painted cedar. The standout feature is a zinc-clad corner tower designed

ABOVE The driveway leading towards the house, with the main entrance to the right and a pond to the left. The lower sections of the building are clad in traditional Sussex flint, with black-painted cedar above

The double-height dining space gives way to a kitchen that sits under the main en suite and is organised around a large island

A glazed walkway connecting the upstairs spaces overlooks the living area RIGHT The orangery has a custom-made bar with a copper worksurface and timber shelves

F L O O R P L A N S

BEDROOM VOID VOID VOID VOID

VOID

VOID STUDY

BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM

FIRST FLOOR

SNUG

MOVIE ROOM BEDROOM LARDER

DINING KITCHEN UTILITY

WC BOOT ROOM GARAGE PLANT ROOM STORE

GYM

COURTYARD POOL

LIVING AREA

ORANGERY

GROUND FLOOR

Pocket doors open to reveal a grand spiral staircase in the tower. A lighting consultant helped to ensure the space stays bright whatever the weather

Sam’s study is on the mezzanine above the snug. It is lit by a row of reclaimed industrial pendants

to look like a grain silo, but which Ben calls the rocket ship. It was inspired by an old farmstead Lap had seen nearby. ‘When you have a house that zigzags, the problem is always what to do with the internal corner,’ he explains. ‘The tower gave us an opportunity to celebrate this space.’ As well as a glazed orangery facing the rear patio, this part of the house contains the entrance lobby and stairwell, and gives the house a natural centre. There are two additional staircases, one in each wing.

Despite Sam and Ben’s property development knowledge, they ended up going over schedule and budget. One issue that they hadn’t anticipated was the impact of rainwater runoff from the Downs, which caused a major disruption during the groundworks. The couple had chosen underfloor heating and wanted it fed sustainably via a system of ground-source heat pumps. But the excavations completely filled up with water and had to be pumped out.

Extra time was also spent perfecting the details, such as adding triple basins to the bathroom shared by the couple’s three daughters and designing a series of pivoting timber doors for the swimming pool courtyard. These provide privacy and shelter, and allow the space to be warmed by the late-afternoon sun. ‘When you’re a developer you’re constantly looking at the bottom line,’ says Ben. ‘But your heart rules your head when you do your own home,’ adds Sam.

Since the family moved in, their winemaking has evolved from a hobby into a fully f ledged business. They planted 11,500 vines in May 2016 and have recently added another 16,500, with varieties including pinot noir, chardonnay and meunier all positioned according to their soil and drainage requirements. They have also added an extra building for winemaking, which will double as a wine-tasting space for customers.

Ben and Sam hope to launch their first sparkling wine vintage on the Everf lyht brand in early 2022, an occasion that will doubtless double as a celebration of everything they have built together.

The shower screen in Sam and Ben’s en suite is custom-made. The door is a sliding barn-style design

PROJECT TEAM Architect Morgan Carn Architects (morgancarn.com) Landscape architect Natalie Holder Garden Design (natalieholdergardendesign.co.uk) Technology consultant Ivor Knox (ivorknox.com) Lighting consultant Studio EG (studioeg.co.uk)

S U P P L I E R S

STRUCTURE Ground-source heat pump Nicholls Boreholes (nichollsboreholes.co.uk) Concrete floors Steyson Granolithic (steysonconcretefloors.co.uk) External doors and windows Velfac (velfac.co.uk) Internal steel walls and doors, walk-in shower Fabco (fabcosanctuary.com) Bar W&S Building Contractors (wandsbuildingcontractors.co.uk) Metal spiral staircases British Spirals and Castings (britishsc.co.uk) Swimming pool Waterstream (waterstream.co.uk), Compass Pools (compass-pools.co.uk) FIXTURES AND FIT TINGS Woodburning stoves Bolney Stoves (bolneystoves.co.uk) Showers Lefroy Brooks (uk.lefroybrooks.com) Toilets and baths West One Bathrooms (westonebathrooms.com) Other bathroom fittings CP Hart (cphart.co.uk) Main en suite tiles Fired Earth (firedearth.com) Patio tiles Stone Republic (stonerepublic.com) Kitchen worksurface P Challen (pchallen.co.uk) FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES Orangery armchairs Heal’s (heals.com) Study pendant lights Holloways of Ludlow (hollowaysofludlow.com)

A long, narrow rooflight runs the length of Sam and Ben’s bedroom to ensure that the space is well lit yet private