We have recently been successful in our appeal against Lewisham’s decision to refuse the application for an eye-catching new Ground and Loft extension with the help from RE Planning. Much credit is due to the clients that allowed us to challenge the expectations of the planners at Lewisham.
Existing Site
The existing site sits within the Lee Manor Conservation area and occupies an existing end of terrace Victorian house that backs onto Manor House Gardens. The existing house is very narrow in nature resulting in a dark and disconnected layout – unsuitable for a family. The property also features an existing cellar with limited head height and a shared sewer drain running directly through it.
Our Proposal
Granit’s proposal involves lowering the floor of the existing cellar so that it becomes a habitable space for entertaining and additional storage. The existing shared sewer drain has also been diverted to run across the back of the property to help maximise the width of the Basement. The existing cellar stairs have been relocated to create a double height space within the centre of the Ground floor plan to draw natural light from the glass roof down into the new Basement. The Ground Floor also features an internal bay window opposite the existing front bay in the living room. At First Floor, a new ensuite has been introduced in the front bedroom and the flat ceiling to the outrigger has been removed to expose the pitched roof and enhance head height in the hallway and back bedroom. Additionally, the ceiling to the front has been lowered to increase head height in the new Loft space. The Loft dormer features a corner window to direct views down towards Manor House Gardens. We have managed to keep the Loft space entirely open by introducing a door and hallway at First Floor. Along with the internal reconfigurations, we are also applying aiming to achieve EnerPhit standard in order to dramatically reduce its overall energy demand.
To achieve this, we are employing the following requirements:
1. Employing a ‘fabric first’ approach to ensure that the existing envelope is well insulated to retain warm air during colder months and keep heat out during the warmer months. Due to the existing constraints of the site, we are limited to the use of internal wall systems and are exploring the use of wood fibre and Thermablok Aerogel insulation to enable the existing masonry walls to ‘breathe’. The Thermablok insulation is proposed to areas where internal space sizes are critical.
2. Triple Glazing and Solar Control to offer the highest possible levels of performance
3. Implementation of an MVHR system to provide pre-heated fresh air whilst also filtering the incoming air in order to create a healthy, warm and comfortable environment
4. Ensuring a continuous thermal and airtight envelope is maintained to contribute towards a stable internal climate and minima moisture related problems.
Hopefully once complete, this property will serve as a case study for how to implement high levels of comfort and low energy use to an existing Victorian building.
Works are expected to start late September 2022.
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