simplicity love: Camel Quarry House, Cornwall, UK

Camel Quarry House is a new build house, located in the desolate, old industrial landscape on the shores of the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, UK, designed by architects McLean Quinlan.

Photo © Peter Cook

The owners found and fell in love with the site in 1994. It was originally the old Quarry Manager's House, on the edge of the Camel Estuary. When in 2002 the house was destroyed by fire, a new house was decided to be sited over the footprint of the original building, in a unique and distinct response to the site, which had not changed for centuries. The new building was intended to be extremely simple and inspired by old mine buildings, with a strong, pure unselfconscious form.

Camel Quarry is available to rent, via its own website.

Photos © Peter Cook | Will Scott

Photo © Will Scott

Photo © Peter Cook

Photo © Will Scott

Photo © Peter Cook

Description by McLean Quinlan:

Padstow
We approached from the south along a track through fields and eventually the burnt out ruin of the original house began to emerge from behind the leafless field hedges. As we got closer a sense of desolation descended. The house, having suffered such a malicious arson attack, was totally devoid of any picturesque quality.
Turning away from the building, the site displayed a wonderfully wild quality, with piles of disused slate and dramatic views beyond. It is set within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but its recent industrial past is plainly evident.

Photo © Peter Cook

Photo © Will Scott

Photo © Peter Cook

Situated in the wonderfully desolate, old industrial landscape of Camel Quarry on the shores of the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, this new build house, sited over the footprint of the original building, is a unique and distinct response to the site.
It nestles quietly in the old slate quarry, tucked down a little lower into the ground than its predecessor, peering out over the magnificent views. Its form is simple – a rugged face reflecting the quarry and estuary and a smoother façade facing the more sheltered, rural landscape.

Camel Quarry House is an informal, practical and low energy family home. The use of more sustainable sources of energy includes ground source heat pumps and solar panels concealed in the roof. The walls and roof are heavily insulated to reduce heating loads, windows are triple glazed using high performance insulative glass and water is obtained from an onsite bore hole.