Chiquet is a detached house on the banks of the River Thames in Weybridge. Located in the green belt and in a primary floodplain, it is part of the local community of Hamm Court. The houses of Hamm Court all face the river and are approached from the rear via a narrow road. The site floods at least twice a year and is partly waterlogged for weeks at a time.

We were introduced to the client to help her through the complexities of designing a new home, as she sought to make a private space that celebrates this extraordinary site.

The form of the house is derived from a series of site constraints that include viewing angles, a restriction on width, and a need to have the ground floor above flood level. The roof line minimises visual impact of this mass from the river while the ascending volumes on the road side diminish the impact from the road. The ground floor of the house is elevated to avoid the flood water and this creates a ‘piano nobile’ with views across the Thames, and the open spaces of Hamm Court.

The plan maximises the availability of natural light with rooflights creating a visual route through to the centre of the house, and from which the drama of the interior unfolds.