Cakeham House

Reimagining a Coastal Cottage for Modern Family Living

Cakeham House is the transformation of a late-Victorian, semi-detached cottage in the coastal village of West Wittering, West Sussex. Set between open farmland and the coastline, the project reimagines a fragmented property into a light-filled contemporary family home that embraces its unique setting while respecting the character of the surrounding landscape.

The original cottage had been compromised by a series of unsympathetic extensions that lacked both coherence and connection to the site. The brief was to create a generous, sustainable home that would bring the family together, maximise natural light and frame long views across the countryside towards the sea.

A Cohesive Architectural Response

Rather than continuing the piecemeal evolution of the house, the design introduces a single, carefully composed intervention that unifies the existing building and creates a clear architectural identity.

At its heart, a dramatic double-height entrance hall becomes the organising space of the home, leading into open-plan kitchen, dining and living areas designed around family life and entertaining. Large-format sliding glazing dissolves the boundary between house and garden, allowing the principal living spaces to extend naturally onto the terrace and swimming pool beyond.

Upstairs, carefully positioned glazing captures expansive views across the surrounding farmland, reinforcing the home's connection to its remarkable coastal setting while filling the interiors with natural light throughout the day.

Materiality & Landscape

The architecture draws inspiration from the agricultural buildings that characterise the local area, reinterpreting familiar forms through a contemporary architectural language.

Vertical timber cladding, allowed to weather naturally over time, softens the building's massing and creates a quiet dialogue with the surrounding landscape. A restrained palette of natural materials is complemented by a landscape design of ornamental grasses and coastal planting, echoing the textures and colours of West Wittering while enhancing biodiversity and creating a relaxed, low-maintenance garden.

Together, the architecture and landscape have been conceived as a single composition, strengthening the relationship between the home and its surroundings.

A Contemporary Home Rooted in Place

Throughout the project, Adam Knibb Architects worked closely with the clients and local planning authority to develop a design that balanced contemporary architecture with a sensitive response to its coastal context.

The completed home transforms an ordinary cottage into a confident, contemporary family house that feels both generous and grounded. Light-filled, carefully crafted and deeply connected to its setting, Cakeham House demonstrates how thoughtful architecture can unlock the full potential of an existing home while creating spaces that enrich everyday family life.