The Brief:

Our proposals look to transform this end of terrace 1970s house into an energy-efficient, contemporary family dwelling. Our client set a brief of providing space for his expanding family, and dog to provide a comfortable and beautiful home fit for the next 20 years.

The Design Solution: 

The design adds volume and height to the existing structure, with the extra storey enabling a master suite across one floor. A series of double-height spaces and the use of roof lights will flood the property with light and drama.

Externally the walls will be a mixture of new brick, timber and metal cladding. The existing fabric will be fully retrofitted to Enerphit standard, and with the use of renewable energy thereby creating a near-zero carbon emission dwelling. An exemplar of how to upgrade this form of post-war housing fit for 21st-century living.

The siting of the house lent itself to be a prominent feature in the area which helped drive the dramatic concept of the proposal. This is present in the new concertina-like roof extension that reflects the pitched dormers and roofs to the historic building across the road.

Sustainability:

The client was very interested in Passivhaus standard construction and was keen to implement a number of renewable energy systems including; MVHR, Solar Panels and Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP). This was explored in the proposal that comprised the construction of an entirely new insulated timber frame system built inside the existing shell.

This enabled the existing structural walls to be preserved, whilst openings had been carefully designed to unveil the existing building construction. Running along one of these structural walls is a spiral staircase that comprises openings across each flight to create views into different spaces.

The rooms are laid out carefully to ensure that they can be adapted over the years. For example, the ground floor has been intentionally left open to provide the clients flexibility when deciding on furnishings and the layout of the kitchen.