Pont House is along Richmond Way, Darras Hall, by Ponteland village on the outskirts of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It replaces the original 4-bed detached house, one of 24 in similar size and character in the locality built in the 1980s. Historically known as “Garden City of the North”, the large estate is traversed by the River Pont and surrounded by open countryside.
Pont House, flanked by neighbours on three sides, opens out onto magnificent fields and woods to the west. A little stream crosses the rear garden and joins the Pont; deer dwell in the small forest beyond.
The original house, built of local Throckley red facing bricks with light colour mortar joints, was felt to be box-like, constrained, and lacking meaningful relationships with its spectacular and much loved open countryside setting.
The vision for Pont House was to create a 5-bed family home with sustainable designs that welcomes contemporary open-plan living, whilst merging the outstanding rural outdoor and countryside with the interiors in the formal composition. External views are framed to take into its setting, and through large glazings and high-level rooflights natural daylight floods the interior creating a sense of volume and space.
In its formal composition, the front elevation parallels the front boundary and addresses the estate positively; the stepped rear elevation creates suntraps and an expanded run of full-height glazed sliding doors linking interiors with exteriors, allowing rooms of different function to merge spatially and visually.
The triple height, spiring central hallway binds all the spaces at different levels, weaving them vertically and horizontally in light and view. This promenade-like meandering from ground to above, across a backdrop of tall slatted oak by the main stairs and the strategically framed views to the firmament, open countryside in the rear and the neighbourhoods in the front, creates a sense of place.
Subtly hidden from the front elevation are a study and a gym on the second floor, with their own terraces that take in the breathtaking views of the rural expanse beyond.
Careful consideration was taken in choosing Wienerberger Smeed Dean Islington Yellow Rustic bricks, and particularly with recessed mortar joints. The stock yellow with town ash spotting of the bricks and the light sandy colour of the recessed joints work well together to emphasise and compliment the strong and distinctive architectural form of Pont House.
As most of the original houses in the estate are built of bricks of local North East clay, the use of a high quality London stock brick - that has a proud heritage in its connection with royal palace and prestigious buildings - in Pont House not only enhances its contemporary design but also brings a flavour of the South East to the area.
For the different angled corners of the building - the results of site constraints and the Estate’s byelaws - cut bricks of required angles are joined to produce a seamless appearance in the brickworks. Similar to its exterior, the interior finishes of the house are kept simple but distinctive.
