An existing two storey cottage that has been extended previously is being extended again to the rear to provide a contemporary openplan living space to the first floor with corner glazing that can fully retract to maximise the uninterupted views over the South Downs and the adjacent paddocks.

The internal living space is further extended by the extensive cantilevered decking.

Starting on site in September 2011 and due for completion early 2012 the construction works have been managed by Steele-Perkins Project Management.

The existing neglected bungalow will be thoroughly modernised and extended with the addition of a timber frame first floor extension providing an additional full floor of accommodation.

The ground floor has been remodelled with all internal walls removed or adapted to create an open plan living, dining, kitchen area as well as a study and separate TV room to the rear overlooking the gardens.

The new first floor provides four generous double bedrooms and two bathrooms with a walk-in-wardrobe to the master suite.

The existing yellow brick and concrete tile facades have been reworked to give a modern, clean rendered finish with a new slate tile roof to complement the grey aluminium powder coated windows.

The project involves the complete redesign of the exterior of the house, replacing a disastrous mix of plastic cladding, stone cladding and facing brick with a modern, clean aesthetic of white render over a new layer of external insulation. The existing heavy concrete roof tiles are replaced with natural slate, the white plastic windows replaced with new double glazed powder coated aluminium windows in a dark slate grey colour to match the roof and rainwater goods.

The existing conservatory is replaced with a new sun-room below a new large balcony with glazed balustrading accessed directly off the new master bedroom suite with clear views over the adjacent Wray Common Conservation Area.

The existing single storey garage to the far side is replaced with a new two storey extension, extending both to the front and rear, incorporating the new master bedroom suite, guest suite, new utility room improved garaging, and the new music room extending into the south facing gardens.

The deep overhanging eaves to the roof provide passive solar shading from the summer sun to the first floor rooms. A new front projecting porch and gable provides the much needed balance to the front elevation as well as relieving the cramped existing bathroom accommodation to the first floor.

Wingate Cottage is a Grade II Listed property in the Great Ouseburn Conservation Area. The existing kitchen was cramped and compromised by three doorways. An existing single-storey extension contained a utility room, boiler and pantry but blocked views of the garden.

The Utility Room was relocated to an under-utilised storage area and a new back door was added to provide access to the garden. The existing cloakroom was modified to suit the new layout.

A new single-storey extension was added with complimentary materials and detailing. Four new steel beams were inserted to create a large open-plan space. One of the existing doorways was turned into a bookcase allowing a new efficient U-shaped kitchen to be installed with a larger four oven Aga. Bespoke oak cabinets were manufactured by Chapel Kitchens of Nun Monkton along with a matching bench and dining table. Two ‘conservation’ rooflights ensure natural light fills the new garden room. An oak sliding/folding door was manufactured to match the existing windows and provide level access to the redesigned garden.

The project was completed in Summer 2010.

The existing lean-to and ad-hoc rear extensions were removed together with the unused garage which was severing the house from the rear garden.

A new part single, part two-storey extension was added to the rear of the property with a glazed roof to the south elevation and large folding sliding doors to the garden elevation. The removed garage was replaced with a large timber deck acting as a transition space between the house and gardens.

The introduction of a partition wall to the existing single large reception room to the front of house created the much needed Entrance Hall and allowed for the insertion of a ground floor WC and Utility Room. The existing room became the Dining Room while the new open plan kitchen and family room to the rear of the house enjoys the maximum daylight and access to the garden.

To the first floor the gable ended second floor rear extension was carefully modelled in 3D and checked using sun-path analysis to ensure that over-shadowing was not a problem for the neighbouring house. This extension contains the new third bedroom with access created by reducing the large existing bathroom which was replanned and re-fitted with a new window to the side elevation. Another new tall window was installed to the front elevation to provide much-needed daylight to the first floor landing which had only previously been lit by borrowed light from one of the bedrooms.

The project was completed in Summer 2009 for a construction cost of around £85,000 + VAT.

The building’s remote location meant the client demanded that the house be as self sufficient as possible to contend with common power cuts in this rural area. This was achieved by the integration of a combination of Photovoltaic Cells and a Ground Source Heat Pump supplementing the existing massive stone walls with insulation and thermafleece insulation to the roof. This approach resulted in the building receiving an ‘A’ SAP rating – no mean feat for an old stone barn.

The original ‘U’ shaped plan with narrow rooms required the insertion of a new link corridor which retained a very thick stone wall within the heart of the building thus adding to the thermal mass and the performance of the underfloor heating.

The careful attention to detailing of the external fabric, both new and existing, results in the finished building sitting harmoniously with the surrounding landscape.

Northumberland, completed December 2008.

The client’s brief was to remodel the existing house to provide the following accommodation:

• Hot Tub room including Sauna and Steam Rooms, changing room;
• Gymnasium;
• Cinema / Games room;
• Additional bedroom with ensuite facilities;
• Additional large reception room opening onto the spacious and mature gardens;
• Replan the kitchen to provide an open-plan living / family space;
• Replace existing detached double garage for integral triple garage;
• Remodel the exterior to the rear to provide a more contemporary feel;
• Maintain the ‘traditional’ look of the front elevation;
• Replan the Entrance Hall to provide a more dramatic space and clear away the small ‘boxy’ rooms that littered the ground floor accommodation.

The solution proposed included the construction of two new wings to the south facing rear elevation creating a natural courtyard patio enclosed by the wings which the family room, hot tub room and new reception room opened. To the first floor the gymnasium and cinema were located above the new triple garage and hot tub area.

Clearing away all the walls of the annex to the right of the property allowed the existing dining room to be relocated and by removing the walls to the entrance hall, taking in the former dining room, and removing the bedroom and ensuite above created a very large grand double height entrance hall suitable for a house of this size. The incorporation of a new gable feature window to the front elevation allows light to flood into this previously small and dark entrance area.

The existing living and kitchen space have been extended by the addition of a contemporary flat roof extension to the rear of the property.

Rather than try to create a pastiche extension with undersized windows and difficult roof junctions it was decided early on to create a contemporary design that was clearly a modern addition to this traditional house. Large glazed openings and rooflights maximise daylight while the cantilevered roof form provides protection from excess solar gain. The soffit is of sweet chestnut cladding, a locally sourced alternative to western red cedar shipped from Canada with its high embodied CO2 footprint.

The walls are constructed of solid single skin blockwork to reduce construction time and the whole extension is then wrapped in insulation giving a much better thermal performance than cavity construction while also being extremely cost efficient and simple to build.

Completed in January 2007 at a construction cost of around £60,000.

Sir Stephen & Lady Lamport extended the cottages in 1988 to provide an additional bedroom and bathroom to the first floor and to extend the existing ground floor breakfast room but were disappointed in the final quality of the build. Another unfortunate addition was a rear dormer window that was very unsympathetic to the style and massing of the original building. One of the fundamental brief requirements for the new work was to ensure a seamless blend between any new extensions and the existing 19th Century buildings.

The existing south elevation of the house presented a rather stark facade to the road, albeit obliquely, with no windows and only the chimney breast and overgrown door canopy offering any architectural relief.

The new works created a third cottage to the rear of the existing forming an L-shaped building and containing a new Master Bedroom suite, walk-in-wardrobe, ensuite, new library study and an enlarged kitchen. The use of carefully selected bricks, distressing the new mortar, using reclaimed tiles and carefully matching the details of the existing timber windows provided the seamless connection between the new work and the existing buildings.

The introduction of the third ‘cottage’ also allowed the internal circulation to be replanned and achieved a more flowing route around the house, tying the two existing cottages together. The elevation facing the road was also addressed by the introduction of a second, balancing, chimney stack to the library and new windows to this elevation to provide much needed natural light to the first floor landings.

The existing open rear patio was removed to allow the construction of the third cottage. It was replaced with a new sunken and partially walled terrace garden between, and accessed directly from, the new library and the existing kitchen and breakfast room.

Completed in February 2006 for a construction budget of around £300,000.

The existing property was in a poor state of repair and was in need of a major overhaul. To the rear of the property a single storey flat roof extension and first floor full width dormer window have been removed, the surrounding roof and walls removed totally removed back to the middle of the house.

In its place a new single and two storey extension has been constructed using a steel frame infilled at the ground floor with solid blockwork, externally insulated and renders while above the frame is infilled with a more lightweight timber framing to support the western red cedar cladding.

Internally most of the existing walls were either removed or stripped back to the original structure to allow the whole house to be replumbed, rewired and replastered. New doors, skirtings and aarchitraves have been fitted throughout. The existing staircase was also replaced. incorporating a new kitchen, dining room, master bedroom suite, children’s playroom, bedrooms and bathrooms. The existing ground floor bathroom has been removed to create a significantly larger entrance hall and ground floor WC while the existing lounge has been opened up to the new rear extension dining room with floor to ceiling folding hidden screens to maintain flexibility of the space.

The new rear extension contains the repositioned kitchen, the extended master bedroom suite including walk-in-wardrobe and ensuite and the new dining room. To the first floor the central section contains a large childrens’ playroom with new ensuite and family bathrooms to the set back wings.

The cantilevered stainless steel and glass balcony and the cantilevered and tapering eaves provide sun shading to the large sections of glazing to the south facing rear elevation to prevent excessive solar gain during summer while allowing the lower winter sun to warm the rooms behind. The degree of projection for the balcony and roof was carefully modelled in 3D using sunshading software to establish an optimum dimension. The balcony, accessed through the folding French doors, further extends the first floor living space while offering views across the neighbouring fields and golf course.