The Haven, Norfolk, UK

The client’s vision for this house and boathouse at Horning on the Norfolk Broads was to provide an exemplary building that is sustainable and graceful in design, complementing and enhancing the setting and providing a legacy for future generations.

The extensive use of wood cladding and decking were key elements of LSI architects’ design. However, given that ‘The Haven’ is in a flood zone, surrounded on three sides by water and constantly exposed to a high moisture content in the air, LSI needed to find a wood that they could be confident would deliver durability, dimensional stability and aesthetics. Accoya wood presented the perfect answer.

Accoya, supplied by International Timber, was used for cladding and decking. The glue laminated Accoya wood for the curved rear screen was manufactured by Newnham & Abel Ltd and hand finished with a protective merbau-coloured coating from WoodGuard by Guard Industrie. The same finish was factory applied to the cladding.

Link to project sheet