Exmouth townhouses reach final of top competition

A distinctive building, inspired by a classic modernist glass vase, made it all the way to the finals of a prestigious national competition for developer Eagle One Homes and Exmouth’s Paul Humphries Architects Ltd.

Rocklands, a development of five townhouses in Exmouth’s conservation area, was shortlisted for best small housing development at the LABC’s National Building Excellence Awards. The local contender was pipped at the post in the end by a mews redevelopment in Chelsea.

“Best small housing award is a really competitive category, so we were bowled over to be shortlisted,” said Paul Humphries the practice’s principal architect. “People have commented that the curved aspects of the facade have a nautical feel like the bow of a ship but the inspiration actually came from a glass vase, curved in three directions, created by Danish modernist architect and designer Arne Jacobsen.”

Chris Fayers, Director of Eagle One Homes, added: “We believe we have created a building of real distinction in Rocklands which complements the existing architecture in the area but makes an impact. It’s great to have that recognised nationally.”

The LABC judges were particularly impressed that developers Eagle One Homes allowed buyers the chance to influence the internal layout of the properties. The town houses were designed flexibly so that early purchasers could decide the layout of their homes choosing where bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens were located. They could also pick the colour scheme, tile designs, the fixtures and fittings and the siting of electrical points.

“This very much validates our tailored approach,” says Chris Fayers, Director of Eagle One Homes. “It’s all about making each property something unique and beautiful. We are taking exactly the same approach with Spinnakers our new development of 14 high quality apartments on Exmouth Quay.”