A one-off dwelling designed and built to fit with the historic buildings of Christ’s Hospital

West Sussex

With a ‘fabric first’ approach, Orchard House builds on the historic character of Christ’s Hospital and complements nearby Northgate House by aligning with it and mimicking its proportions, creating a clear sense of place.

Christ’s Hospital originally put forward a planning application for several houses on the plot as part of the Hyde Housing development, but this was declined as the importance of the site’s location was deemed not befitting for a developer scheme.

While neighbouring Northgate House is not a Listed Property, it was built at the same time as the school and was designed by the Architect Sir Ashton Webb, who is more famously known for works such as the principal facade of Buckingham Palace and the main building of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The design needed to create a visual link back towards the school without taking away from the other developments made in the area over the last 100 years, such as the Bluecoats Pond Development, and the mid-20th Century buildings facing the dwelling.

The building is of a traditional masonry construction with high levels of insulation designed to achieve an EPC rating of B. While the decision was made to install a gas boiler, the building is ‘future proofed’ for ASHP, which will improve the rating considerably. The construction aims for an Air tightness of 2.0 and includes a fully integrated rainwater harvesting system and PV array.

Features include the bay window to emphasise the visual aesthetic facing towards the school, and the west facing gable feature to create frontage and a link to the properties along King Edward Road.