British architectural studio McLean Quinlan has completed Bay House, a low-energy new-build home set in a coastal village in North Devon, England. The five-bedroom dwelling combines light-filled, warm interiors and custom-designed furniture within a resilient stone facade designed to withstand the rugged seaside setting.
Responding to a challenging coastal site
Set on a steeply sloping plot that curves along a bend in the road, Bay House looks out to sweeping views of the coastline on one side and pastoral farmland on the other. This striking yet complex terrain shaped McLean Quinlan’s design, which follows the natural contours of the site.
The house unfolds downwards, stepping from one to three storeys in response to the slope. On approach, it appears as a single-level home, gradually revealing its layered form and far-reaching views as visitors move through the spaces.
A home for an active family
Designed for an active, community-minded family who surf, cycle, and walk locally, the layout balances practicality and openness. Utility spaces and the garage provide storage for outdoor gear, while a study and generous entry hall buffer the main living areas. This entrance space is illuminated by full-height glazing that overlooks a sheltered courtyard planted with a local conifer pine.
Living spaces that open to the landscape
The ground floor captures panoramic ocean and valley views to both east and west. Expansive glazing in the open-plan living, kitchen, and dining areas fills the interiors with light, creating a sense of immersion in the surrounding landscape while offering protection from coastal winds. The living space opens to both front and rear terraces, while the main bedroom enjoys a private balcony.
A glazed stair hall runs along the southern side of the plan, shaded by angled oak louvres that soften the stone facade. A bespoke oak staircase with floating treads filters daylight through the vertical space.
On the lower levels, a yoga studio, snug, plant room, and four additional bedrooms open onto terraces framed by the landscape. Deeply inset windows and multiple points of access to the outdoors ensure that even these quieter spaces feel connected to the setting.
Crafted interiors inspired by nature
McLean Quinlan also undertook the interior design, drawing inspiration from the surrounding landscape. The material palette includes engineered oak flooring and wall panelling, complemented by light plaster walls and large-format ceramic tiles. Custom joinery designed by the studio combines smooth and rough-sawn oak with brushed brass details for a balance of craftsmanship and utility. Director Fiona McLean designed oak bench seating that greets guests in the entrance hall.
Passive design and performance
Bay House was built to passive design principles, with energy-efficient systems integrated into a highly insulated, airtight thermal envelope. Heating is provided by a ground source heat pump with mechanical ventilation heat recovery. A green roof blankets the home, while a photovoltaic array, concealed behind a parapet, further supports the building’s low-energy operation.
To improve thermal performance and mitigate damp, McLean Quinlan introduced a slender 80-centimetre void along the rear elevation that houses services and acts as a protective buffer, ensuring the building’s longevity.
An external staircase, formed from individually cast concrete treads embedded with stone chippings reclaimed from the building’s walls, sweeps through the lower section of the void to discreetly connect the upper and lower terraces.
Rooted in its landscape
Bay House continues McLean Quinlan’s approach to creating homes that sit harmoniously within their settings. The exterior is clad in pale Purbeck stone quarried in Dorset, chosen for its durability and subtle tones that echo the surrounding sand dunes.
For the garden design, the architects collaborated with Devon-based Eden Design, using local dark grey granite and native coastal grasses that root the home within its natural environment.
