Traditional architecture with a twist

On the Edge

site on Harrington Sound

Walk up and down Trinity Church Road looking for the new-build house and you will likely waste an entire day trying to spot it.

Nestled away on the water side of this historical lane is a brand-new white cottage, which embraces traditional Bermudian architecture and looks like it has been there forever.

Named after the winter resident that nests on the cliffs below, Kingfisher Cottage is built on a cliff edge overlooking Harrington Sound. It is a two-storey, one-bedroom home with off-street parking, open plan kitchen and living area, two full bathrooms, additional flexible living area, considerable outdoor entertaining space and even an outdoor shower. The property has water access via concrete stairs which lead all the way down the cliff to a landing area.

Finished in June 2022, the property took a year to build and, because of the steep, sloping nature of the site, had to take full advantage of all up to the minute engineering techniques available in Bermuda.

The cottage was designed by architect Geoff Parker with support from architectural technologist, Nick Strong, who also oversaw all the construction.

“The site had quite restrictive zoning requirements,” explains Parker. “The main restriction was a 600 square foot maximum site coverage. That’s generally pretty small, even for a cottage.

“We designed the house as two storeys on the 600 square feet of buildable area and extended the lower floor under the required on-site parking area. Overall, we managed to achieve almost 1,600 square feet of usable house by using the slope of the site creatively, and it still appears from the roadside as a tiny one storey cottage.”

Before excavation began at the top,

work at the base of the cliff was carried out to stabilise it and concrete was poured to fill the paleosol (fossilised soil) layer that had been eroded.

An unexpected bonus of such a tricky site was the deep wooden deck they were allowed to build that provided an exterior connection from one side of the house to the other, significantly increasing the amount of usable outdoor recreational space.

“This was a revision we added on because we realised the site was such a sheer slope that when you came out the door it was a two-foot-wide path and then a steep tumble down to the cliff,” adds Strong.

Built using accoya for the structural components, with Spanish cedar pergola and railings, the deck is cantilevered and has three structural supports with concrete footings into the rock. Sliding doors lead out from the open plan kitchen and living room and the panoramic view takes in Hall Island, Trunk Island and everything in between.

In spite of the small site, this isn’t the only outdoor recreational space. There is also a paved terrace ideal for BBQ’s.

The main entrance sits on the road level and the refinished cedar front door takes you into a buttery-style entry-way, complete with smooth roof and finial ball at the peak.

From there, steps lead up towards the ensuite bedroom or down a wide staircase to the main part of the house.

The property is rented, so the colours, fixtures and fittings are neutral but with a coastal feel to complement the location.

The owner enjoys salvaging useful materials and this is evidenced in the distinctive, live edge Bermuda cedar mantel which sits above a Rumford fireplace in the living room. It was repurposed from a 17th century house.

Other salvaged items include the 200-year-old roof rafters and the old Bermuda and Yorkshire stone used to create steps leading down from the road level to the outdoor recreational areas.

Everything is designed to be functional, flexible, natural looking, easy to maintain, and stand up to the elements.

This includes a huge hurricane-proof window in the master bedroom which frames the spectacular view, a staircase wide enough to accommodate a stair-lift should that be needed in the future, and useful storage built into every applicable nook, including ‘pull down attic access’ in the walk-in wardrobe.

Outside, all the doors are Spanish cedar to match the deck, and the wall lights are solid brass.

Taking advantage of the natural light was a priority. In addition to the many windows, there are hidden skylights in the roadside planter, bringing light directly into the kitchen, glass panels in the front door, and a window on the gable end of the attic, which adds to the exterior character.

The surrounding landscaping is both attractive and serves a purpose. A roadside planter contains dwarf date palms, lantana and bougainvillea against the wall, but further down, buttonwoods provide privacy and stand up to the wind.

On the water side are bay grapes, sea ox-eye, more buttonwoods, olivewood and cedars as well as ornamental coconut palms. They have also installed five Longtail igloos.

The most complicated challenge was “getting the levels to work and the constraints of the narrow site and the cliff edge,” says Strong. “Everyone looked at it and said ‘no, I don’t think this can be done’”. They were wrong! KEY CONTRACTORS

• Carvalho Construction Ltd. • Carvalho’s Custom Carpentry • Geoff Parker Architects • Hamma Galleries • Impressionz Painting &

Maintenance