The site floods twice a year and the wind comes off the water at forty knots. The family wanted a house that stayed warm, looked out at the inlet from every room and did not need a boat to reach in March.

We raised the house on a plinth of recycled concrete, turned its back to the prevailing wind and opened the south side with a single run of timber windows. The roof drops low on the north and lifts to the light on the water side, so the rooms feel sheltered and wide at the same time.

Inside, everything is oak, lime plaster and stone from the local quarry. The kitchen sits at the centre, the one room where all five can see each other, the tide and the front door.