We are thrilled to have secured permission to go ahead with our latest project: creating a unique, flexible and sustainable holiday home on the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Plans for the accommodation – located in the settlement of Boustead Hill, near Carlisle and a number of nature reserves and coastal beauty spots – can now be fully realised. The 0.1ha site is the last remaining part of our client’s ancestral family farm, and, given the sentimental ties, unique ecological and historical setting, the brief drew upon the full spectrum of Harrison Stringfellow expertise. Our design response involves a ‘family’ of three volumes of ascending size arranged around a courtyard setting, typical of the local area. The volumes comprise firstly of a two-storey adaptable living and sleeping unit suitable for a range of guest numbers, secondly a 1.5-storey snug and sleeping overspill space, and thirdly an ancillary storage structure. With no mains connections, the proposal is as self-sustaining as possible. The orientation and building arrangement capitalises not only on the views but allows for passive solar gain, optimal solar panel positioning and SUDS drainage. Bookended in local stone, the structures are wrapped in fibre cement profiled cladding and punctuated with deep-set windows set in framed surrounds. With regard to vernacular and agricultural typologies, the materials and detailing have been selected to be robust, as well as easy to construct and maintain. Many thanks to planning consultancy H&H Land and Property for help with the planning appeal and to Post Design for their CGI images.