The Modern Bungalow
Award-Winning Single Storey Private Home
The "Modern Bungalow" was conceived as a light and efficient dwelling that with the surrounding landscape. DMW designed the home with a focus on transparency, natural light, and a seamless connection between interior spaces and the natural environment.
Project Director: Ryan Martin
Project Lead: Mark Christopher
Structural Engineer: Smith Foster
The core idea behind the dwelling was to create a series of living spaces unified under a single cantilevered roof, with the use of perpendicular external brick walls that extend into the landscape, providing both structural integrity and defining the spatial separation of the internal space. Constructed using long, Roman-format bricks that resemble local Purbeck limestone, the selected bricks offer a more refined aesthetic when used in large quantities.
The unifying feature of the house is a low-pitched zinc roof. Zinc is a durable material that ages gracefully, providing a delicate rhythmic pattern to the roof surface. Its soft, natural hue complements the tones of the bricks and the surrounding greenery.
The dwelling was designed with a strong focus on energy efficiency and sustainability, following passive solar principles. The building’s orientation and design ensure that, during the colder winter months, the sun’s warmth is allowed to penetrate deep into the house. Conversely, during the heat of the midday summer sun, the generous cantilevered roof provides shade, preventing overheating of the interior spaces.
