The brief required the radical remodelling of a detached 1950s house set well back on a long narrow plot on top of a hill for a visionary client who saw the project as an opportunity to create a low –energy modern family home with sustainable green ideals. The existing house of 176 sq metres was completely remodelled and extended to become effectively a new house of 277 sq metres, at a cost of £250,000. The original structure was extended forwards to create a new two storey structure with an integral garage on the ground floor and its own entrance and stairs to a large well- lit design studio on the first floor. The house was also extended upwards, by adding a new bedroom and bathroom in the loft space and backwards by adding a new open plan living room with dining area and kitchen on the ground floor plus a new balcony running the fill width of the house serving two bedrooms on the first floor.
It is an exemplar of specification in terms of environmentally benign materials, including jute and recycled newspaper insulation, clay plasters, organic paints and locally produced sweet chestnut wall cladding. Underfloor heating is used with exposed screed floors and solar panels underpinning the sustainable “green” ideals and the drive for energy efficient home. Photography: Leigh Simpson (07973 358044) |
