The Existing Property:

The chalet bungalow sits on a great plot, with a south-facing garden surrounded by mature trees. With three bedrooms and a footprint of 130m2, the property has received several small extensions. Externally it’s finished in a mixture of red facing brick and white render, with a plain clay tile roof.

Conceptual Approach:

The idea behind this design is to retain as much of the ground floor structure as possible, extend just small amounts and create a new storey, which should then generate a total floor area of around 260m2. This would also move bedroom accommodation to the first floor, freeing up lots of room on the ground floor to allow for the creation of a large open plan kitchen/family area, with further living spaces all facing on to the garden and benefitting from the view and plenty of natural light.

On the first floor, four bedrooms have been provided, the vaulted master benefitting from a dressing room and en suite.

Externally, the look is contemporary, with large areas of glass balanced with natural stone and timber for a warm look. The timber cladding anchors the property in its setting, responding to the woodland setting. The house is finished with a zinc roof — a great material for sites with a lot of tree coverage.

The concept behind this project was to retain as much of the existing ground floor as possible and work to the existing building lines. As site investigation works were carried out it became clear a lot of the structure was in poor condition and a decision was made to progress with the design as a new build. This then allowed the owners to free themselves from the constraints of the existing structure and iron out all those small imperfections that they were constrained to as a remodel.