The London based, Studio Seilern Architects, created this very ‘spacious’ beach house for an undisclosed client in Lekki, Lagos Nigeria. Designed to be a private holiday residence on the remote beaches of Lekki, the proposed energy efficient design is aimed at being a zero-carbon dwelling in the our tropical climate, which is not an easy task, by any stretch of imagination.
Solar and Wind Technologies are some of the ideas put forth to generate power for the building and make it
self sustaining. To this end, 65 meters of floating timber roof, have been designed to arch like a bow, thus, providing unparalleled shading to the house and terrace, without sacrificing views and visibility. To achieve this feat, cables and timber trusses are attached to ‘floating lamellas’ for support which in turn, creates a column-free, flexible central living area underneath. This central core comprises the living area, bar and kitchen while two side wings contains a TV room, gym and the bedrooms.
In plan, the beach house takes a rectilinear form with curved landscape embellishments to respond the the site. Transparent volumes enclosed by glass give a feeling of “living in nature” only punctuated by floor-to-ceiling louvres which provide privacy and additional shading. A grand spiral staircase rises from the heart of the house to connect the double volume living space on the ground floor to the first floor and roof, transporting you a space from when you can really take in the beach views.