In the summer of 2018, DHV architects were appointed to design a rear
extension and first floor alterations to an inter-war, two-storey detached
property in the Henleaze area in North Bristol. The house was in need of
complete modernisation and the owners, a family with two young children,
were planning to carry out a full refurbishment prior to moving in.
On the ground floor the house comprised of a front and rear reception room,
separate kitchen and breakfast room at the back, with an attached garage on
the side. After exploring a few different options, the clients chose to knock the
kitchen and breakfast room together and extend 3.5m into the garden to
create a generous open plan kitchen / dining / living room. The kitchen would be set at
the back of the open plan room with a long cooking island facing the garden.
The extension would not span the full width of the house and the rear
reception would be retained as a separate space (albeit connected to the
kitchen) with its own sliding doors leading to a raised patio. The clients
planned this room as a home-office to be able to supervise the children whilst
working long hours on their fledging business.
On the first floor the house originally featured four bedrooms and a large bathroom
with an additional WC and store room. The bathroom was relocated to the smaller bedroom, thus freeing up a larger room for guests, whilst a small en-suite would be added to the master bedroom.
Externally the extension is articulated in two distinct, contemporary volumes:
a “solid” façade with a fixed central window on the right-hand side and a fully
glazed corner element with a small roof overhang on the left. The flat roof
design enables the ceiling to continue through to the extension seamlessly.
Since the house is raised from the ground, the extension exceeded the
height limits for Permitted Developments and in October 2018 DHV architects
applied for planning consent. Adjacent neighbours' objections resulted in the
planning officer demanding major revisions such as a change in the roof form
(from flat to sloped). We were able to argue that it would be sufficient to slope the edge of the roof (facing the nearest neighbour) whilst retaining the majority of the flat roof and a “straight” rear elevation. Following a further complaint from the other adjacent neighbour the planner also requested that the side-facing sliding doors be frosted.
After several weeks of negotiations, planning consent was granted and eight
months after our appointment the work could finally start on site. New services were installed throughout, the existing windows were replaced with efficient double glazed
units, the roof was insulated and re-tiled, all walls were re-plastered and new
flooring was laid on the ground and first floors. The work on site took nearly
nine months, with a further six weeks of landscaping carried out by a
separate, specialist contractor.
The construction was luckily completed at the beginning of 2020, just in time
for the the owners to spend lockdown in a newly renovated, comfortable and
delightful space.
Project Detail:
Interior Photoshoot Styling by Ivywell Interiors.
Ivywell Interiors is the interior design arm of DHV Architects, providing a complete interior solution to transform your home from room by room design to product sourcing.
Building and refurbishment by Elite Build Bristol
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