Mission impossible

Heather and Chris Noon successfully overcame the most daunting of technical challenges to create a unique home with world-class views

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The house Heather and Chris Noon discovered in the summer of 2017 was a mid-century detached property, on a very steep slope overlooking the beach, with only pedestrian access. Pebble-dashed and constructed from substandard mundic concrete, it was damp and barely habitable, yet for them it was love at first sight. 'As soon as you turn around, you get the whole jaw-dropping view. It took our breath away,' says Heather.

The view is across one of Cornwall's best surfbeaches. It sits between two headlands where sightings of dolphins, basking sharks and seals in the bay are a common occurrence, while the village above the beach is a bustling place, popular with visitors and locals alike. Heather and Chris knew the area well, as Chris grew up in the village and attended the local school where he has now returned to work part time as a maths teacher.

They had bought a property nearby in 2008, collaborating with architect James Hurditch and building contractor (and Chris's former school friend) Jonathan Manser to update it. James and Jonathan were the natural choice for their expert opinions on the possibilities for this new project, which would turn out to be a complete demolition project, rather than the renovation the couple originally had in mind.

SCOPING OUT POSSIBILITIES