London studio Morrow + Lorraine has completed a group of five seaside holiday homes in Dorset, England, featuring stone dividing walls that resemble the irregular surface of the nearby cliff face.
The Clifftops development comprises five lodges designed by Morrow + Lorraine for a site within the Pennsylvania Castle Estate, which is located on the Isle of Portland ? a tied island linked to the mainland by a barrier beach.
Top: Clifftops by Morrow + Lorraine. Above: the design sits within a rugged terrain
The on the Jurassic Coast ? a UNESCO-protected site where coastal erosion has exposed rock formations dating from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Clifftops is positioned between two important historic sites; the partially ruined Rufus Castle and Pennsylvania Castle, a Gothic Revival mansion. The lodges provide additional accommodation for large parties that book out the estate for private events. Buttress-style walls taper in height between the suites
A key requirement of the building's design was the need to sit unobtrusively in its historic surroundings and complement the unique character of the coastal landscape.
"Taken in tandem with the extreme sensitivity of the setting, a clear design concept emerged: the building should appear hewn from the ground, rather than built upon it," said the architecture studio.
A roof terrace spans across four of the lodges
The lodges are partially embedded in the sloping site to reduce their visibility from the re...