6 Kingsdown Parade, Bristol

The site at No 5-6 Kingsdown Parade in inner Bristol was purchased by our dear friend the late Ben Hamilton-Baillie with a view to creating a new type of co-living in retirement for himself and like-minded others. Sadly he did not live to see that happen. Without its guiding light, the project faltered and the site, a former filling station of approx 1000 sq m with fine south-facing views over the city was broken up into two parts, the smaller of which now has a new house for Ben’s wife, Jennifer Hill. 

The new house occupies the site of a small and rather run-down corner house whose character was much-loved by some locally and which informed the design of its replacement. Thus the new house comprises a strong brick screen wall enclosing and protecting the house on the north and east (Kingsdown Parade and Marlborough Hill) while the south and west elevations open out onto the walled garden and to the distant views of the city and the countryside beyond. 

The house has a highly insulated, well-sealed* timber frame, clad on the north and east by a Flemmish-bonded brick wall with a Liassic limestone rubble plinth and a reconstructed rubble wall that continues westwards to join that of the adjacent site at No 5. To the south and west the cladding is render and glass and the roof carries a full array of SW-facing photo-voltaic panels.

* The frame has an airtightness of 1.2 cu m/hr/ sq m (way better than B Regs’ required 8) and an average U Value of 0.13 W/sq m/K.                              

The contractor, Dovetail specialises, as the name suggests in timber construction and the house contains several fine timber elements, notably the gently curving stair as well as being beautifully constructed generally, as we hope the pictures show.