Blending Heritage with Modern Design

Located in the English town of Berkhamsted, adjacent to a scheduled ancient monument, Castle View reflects both the historical context of the town’s castle ruin as well as the typically suburban street on which it sits. Designed by Flint Architects, the residence is built with several levels to utilise space on its small site. The external cladding is Russwood’s SILA Select® Siberian Larch cladding, which has been factory coated with SiOO:X Mid Grey.

• Location: Berkhamsted
• Year: 2024
• Architect: Flint Architects
• Type of Wood: Siberian Larch
• Type of SiOO:X: SiOO:X Mid-grey
• Photography: Chris Snook Photography

The front and back of the dwelling required two contrasting facades. The front of the property, which is both the castle facing and public road facing side, was designed with strategically placed windows, allowing views of the castle, but also with privacy in mind, to ensure seclusion for residents. The rear of the project is the private side and features floor to ceiling windows providing a spacious atmosphere and a connection to the garden.

The project aimed to use a similar colour palette to the grey flint of Berkhamsted Castle, subtly referencing its colours in the design, including the grey brick, zinc, and cladding. A key requirement of the brief was ensuring a uniform appearance as the timber aged, which was achieved using SiOO:X Mid Grey. The silicon coating begins curing as soon as it is applied, but provides an almost immediate grey tone, reaching its final consistent weathered look in 2-3 years. The main benefit for Flint Architects, was that the SiOO:X treatment prevents differential weathering, especially important for Castle View’s overhangs and deep reveals.

“The coating gives an instant appearance of uniform weathering and the grey colour complements the palette of the building. Without the coating, the cladding would have introduced an additional colour not found anywhere else on the building.” Craig Smith, Flint Architects

The SiOO:X coating was crucial in achieving a natural and harmonious blend with the other materials used in Castle View. The grey tone of the coating complements the grey brick and zinc elements, creating a cohesive aesthetic that ties the design together. Unlike a paint coating, the SiOO:X coating allows the natural beauty of the timber to show through, enhancing the variation in brick colours while maintaining a consistent appearance as the timber weathers. This not only achieves the building’s intended look from the outset but also ensures that the cladding naturally integrates with the surrounding materials, reinforcing the design’s connection to the historical and architectural context of Berkhamsted.