With a sleight of hand, London architect Alex Cochrane transformed a Victorian boathouse overlooking a lake in Great Windsor Park in Windsor, England—and rumored to have once housed royal pages—into a modern day writer’s retreat.
By its very nature and function, the shape of any boathouse is long and narrow. After completely gutting the interiors of this two-story timber structure, Cochrane created an open plan of three interlocking living zones that take full advantage of the structure's shape. Inserting his modern box-like interventions in the middle of the boathouse, the architect was able to maintain uninterrupted views down the length of the entire boathouse. The result? A modern day retreat that pays homage to its humble origins with great respect.
Photography courtesy of Alex Cochrane Architects; project first spotted on Dezeen.
Above: Cochrane opened up both ends of the boat house with new windows to allow light to penetrate into the darkest reaches. The steps lead to the second-story living quarters.
Above: Located at the entry of the boathouse, the first of the three interlocking living areas consists of the writer-owner's study area with desk and built-in seating.
Above: The second of the living areas houses the kitchen and bath, the wet zones.
Above: An uninterrupted view down the side of the kitchen zone.
Above: The original A-frame structure of the boathouse, originally completely hidden from view, was revealed when the interior fabric got stripped away.
Above: Cochrane introduced a ribbon of storage and seating along the other continuous length of the boathouse.
Above: The third of living area comprises two beds that double as lounge seating.
Above: The ribbon of storage includes a reclining bench with a recess for books and firewood.
Above: A dressing table at the end is illuminated by cage lights with bronze bulb holders.
Above: The exposed A-frame structure was sandblasted because of damage from nesting birds. The resulting lighter color has a more modern aesthetic matched by the wide widths and long lengths of the Douglas fir floorboards from Danish company Dinesen.
Above: Cochrane added a cantilevered balcony for exterior appreciation of the lake and its view. This required tying back a series of steel beams to the original framework at the center of the boathouse.
Like the look for the pale wood floor? Read World's Most Beautiful Wood Floors.
Above: Cochrane applied oak veneer panels throughout the interior.
Above: Sliding doors offer privacy in the bathroom and shower.
Above: The ground floor still houses boats; the two large wooden doors open outward onto the lake.
Above: The long and narrow plan of the boathouse.
Are we all now lusting after boathouses? See a Boathouse and Screened Porch in Austin and LA Designer Faye McAuliffe's Boathouse Nuptials.
This post is an update; the original ran on June 10, 2013 as part of our Nautical Notes issue.
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