Looking Glass Lodge
Fairlight, East
Sussex
Looking Glass Lodge
is a unique holiday let, which blends seamlessly into the High Weald Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Built by local
craftsmen, the subtle design makes use of the sloping site, appearing elevated
amongst the trees as the ground levels fall away below. A refined, natural
material palette sees western red cedar used as exterior and interior cladding
– left unfinished, the facades will weather naturally to a familiar silver-grey
colour. Large windows flood the lodge with light and offer a sense of
transparency, providing visitors with far-reaching views and a chance to
immerse themselves in the woodland. Self-tinting electrochromic glass
grants privacy while limiting overheating and the spill of artificial light.
Critically, this glass minimises disruption to the site’s bat population,
helping to secure the long-term habitat of this protected species.
From manufacture to
completion, preserving the site’s ecology was key to the brief. Off-site
construction overcame the sloping site’s logistical limitations and delivered
an efficient build programme with minimal disruption to the AONB. Located in a
natural clearing, no trees needed to be felled to construct the lodge, which
uses a hybrid steel/timber-framed structure, with screwpile foundations for a
low-impact approach. This avoids damage to existing trees, encourages the
natural regeneration of native flora on the plot, and retains unobstructed
access for wildlife movement.
The lodge is
featured on Series 11 of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, broadcast January 2023
and available to watch on All 4.
Photography: Tom
Bird
