The Glade
The Glade
| Location | St Peter Port, Guernsey |
|---|---|
| Designer | DLM Architects |
The Glade Project, an award winning family home wrapped in Millboard Envello siding.
Hidden within a mature clearing in St Peter Port, The Glade is a contemporary family home that feels as if it has grown from the woodland itself. Completed in 2017 and crowned winner of the Guernsey Design Awards 2018 in the Residential New Build category, it is a thoughtful response to a complex site, combining energy efficiency, sensitive design and carefully chosen materials, including Millboard Envello Shadow Line+ siding in Burnt Cedar.
The plot sits behind high granite walls, surrounded by protected trees and dense planting. Strict planning regulations, root protection zones and the requirement to maintain a similar footprint to the previous dwelling made this a challenging brief. Over four years of dialogue with planners, DLM Architects refined a proposal that respected every tree root and sightline while still delivering a light filled, modern home for family life.
The outcome is a house that feels quietly confident. A substantial basement takes advantage of an existing swimming pool excavation, allowing the building to sit low in the landscape. The ground floor is wrapped in Guernsey granite, much of it sourced on site. Above, a steel framed upper storey floats out among the trees, wrapped in a mix of living green wall and Burnt Cedar Envello Shadow Line+ Millboard siding.
Architecture that works with the landscape
From the outset, the brief was clear. The Glade needed to sit within its woodland clearing, not compete with it. The building form was carefully stepped and broken down so that views through to the trees were maintained. A double height glazed link brings daylight deep into the heart of the house, emphasising vertical connections between floors and creating framed views of the canopy beyond.
On the eastern side, the cantilevered living wall is planted with more than 4,000 individual plants from 13 native species, irrigated via a borehole system. This vertical garden softens the building’s presence, provides an acoustic and pollution buffer from nearby roads and offers additional thermal performance. On the western side, a more solid, shed like form is expressed in Millboard Envello Shadow Line+ siding in Burnt Cedar, echoing the simple silhouettes of timber outbuildings and barns.
Every move helps tie the home back to its setting. Granite, planting, glazing and Millboard siding sit together as a considered palette, each chosen for their performance, longevity and visual character.
Why Millboard Envello Shadow Line+ siding in Burnt Cedar
The choice of façade material for the upper level was critical. The architects wanted the warmth and character of charred timber, without the maintenance burden that can come with natural timber, especially in a coastal climate. Millboard Envello Shadow Line+ siding in Burnt Cedar offered the ideal balance of aesthetics and durability.
The resin mineral composite boards capture the rich tonal variation and texture of burnt cedar, with deep shadow lines that give the façade a subtle rhythm. As light moves through the trees across the day, those profiles catch and release highlights, echoing the dappled shadows on the forest floor. From a distance, the siding reads as a dark, recessive element within the tree canopy. Close up, the grain and relief are full of detail and warmth.
For a home where long term performance was just as important as the first impression, Millboard siding brings several advantages:
- Low maintenance: The boards do not require regular sanding, staining, painting or sealing, which reduces ongoing upkeep for the homeowners and minimises the use of additional coatings over the life of the building.
- Durability in a coastal climate: Resistant to rot, warping and insect attack, Millboard decking and siding boards are well suited to Guernsey’s salt laden air and changeable weather.
- Consistent appearance: Unlike some natural timbers and composite alternatives, the finish of the Millboard siding remains stable, supporting the architect’s vision for a refined, contemporary surface that keeps its character over time.
- Performance and protection: Used as part of a carefully detailed façade build up, the siding contributes to the thermal efficiency and weather protection of the upper story.
For DLM Architects, this meant the external skin could work hard in the background, quietly safeguarding the building fabric while bringing a bold yet sympathetic aesthetic to the design scheme.
Inside The Glade
Stepping inside, the connection to nature is immediate. Views out to trunks, branches and sky have been carefully framed, so that every room feels anchored to the surrounding clearing. The glazed link creates a moment of calm as you move between levels, with changing views of foliage through the seasons.
Natural light is maximized, but never harsh. The darker tones of the Millboard Envello Shadow Line+ siding in Burnt Cedar help the upper story recede, allowing the interior spaces to feel cocooned and calm. From within, the richly textured exterior becomes a backdrop to daily life, glimpsed through full-height windows and reflected in internal finishes that pick up the same warm, earthy tones.
Energy efficiency is woven through the design. The building form, orientation and openings are all tuned to harness natural light and solar gain while avoiding overheating. The insulated structure, combined with the performance of the façade build up behind the Millboard siding, supports a stable internal environment with reduced reliance on mechanical heating and cooling.
Sustainability in every layer
The Glade is a home designed to last, with sustainability considered at material, technical and experiential levels.
- The reuse of the existing pool excavation for the basement reduces the need for new groundworks.
- Locally sourced Guernsey granite ties the home to its island context and lowers transport impacts.
- The extensive living wall enhances biodiversity, supports local wildlife and improves air quality.
- The choice of low-maintenance and durable Millboard siding reduces the need for ongoing treatments and replacements over time.
Together, these elements create a holistic sustainability story that goes beyond energy ratings. It is about a house that sits lightly in its clearing, that respects the trees that shelter it and that offers a healthy, uplifting environment for the family who live there.
Inspiration for future projects
The Glade shows how millboard siding can be used as part of a refined, architect designed home where context, performance and character carry equal weight. For specifiers working on:
- woodland or heavily planted sites
- plots with strict planning controls
- coastal locations with demanding weather conditions
- contemporary family homes that still feel rooted in their landscape
Millboard Envello Shadow Line+ siding in Burnt Cedar offers a way to bring depth, warmth and durability to the building facade, while keeping maintenance demands low.
From award winning homes like The Glade to tranquil retreats such as The Oasis, Water Garden and Anchor House in Chichester, Millboard products continue to help designers create spaces that sit comfortably within their surroundings and feel good to live with every day.
The Glade stands as a quiet, confident example of what is possible when thoughtful architecture meets a carefully chosen material palette. In this woodland clearing in Guernsey, Millboard Envello siding plays its part in a home that truly belongs to its setting and will continue to do so for many years to come.
Hazeltine National Golf Club
Floating Pocket Park, Paddington Basin
