The Vines, Island Wall
Located within the Whitstable Seafront Conservation Area, this development comprised two terraces of three houses, carefully designed in the local vernacular tradition. The scheme responded to both conservation and planning constraints, including visibility improvements at the Island Wall–Marine Terrace junction and maintaining public access to the beach via new steps adjacent to the site entrance.
The houses were timber-framed and clad in painted timber weatherboarding above brick plinths, with slate-tiled roofs and traditional painted timber windows and doors. The terrace fronting Island Wall adopted a traditional cottage form, aligning with the scale and character of nearby historic buildings. The rear, seaward-facing terrace was more contemporary, with stepped massing from one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half storeys and elevated entrances to address flood risk. Balconies provided sea views, and grey-stained weatherboarding gave the rear terrace a distinct, yet sympathetic identity.
Designed with sustainability in mind, the project incorporated resilient detailing for coastal conditions and aimed to minimise environmental impact while delivering high-quality housing in a sensitive heritage setting.
