When renovating a house, typically the perfect answer is to demolish the previous and rebuild one thing new in the identical place.
Lots of Britain’s current extension concepts, and even complete properties, have been constructed with out a lot care. From worn-out extensions with angular, ugly window frames to old style conservatories from the Seventies and Nineteen Eighties, these dated designs normally do not age properly, particularly if poor design and low cost supplies have been used.
On this five-bedroom Sixties property in Buckinghamshire, an current conservatory was left largely unused year-round. The householders and their three kids tended to keep away from it as a result of it was both too sizzling in the summertime or too chilly within the winter.
They enlisted the assistance of Alex Rider, director and co-founder of Rider Stirland Architects (opens in new tab) to assist them discover an alternative choice to house – one which their complete household might get probably the most out of. Right here Alex talks us via the transformation.
Alex is a RIBA award profitable architect with over fifteen years of expertise. He based his apply with fellow architect Barry Stirland. Every of the residential or industrial tasks the apply takes on is led by one among its two founders.
Rebuilding an extension – how a design rethink remodeled this dwelling
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‘To make room for the brand new extension,’ explains Alex from Rider Stirland Architects, ‘we demolished the unique rear conservatory. We additionally eliminated one of many current two garages and remodeled it right into a utility house that now connects on to the primary constructing.’
‘The brand new extension is 10 meters lengthy – it’s positioned perpendicular to the present constructing – and subsequently doesn’t really take up way more house than the previous conservatory.’
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‘The brand new format locations the kitchen between the unique home and the brand new extension,’ explains Alex, ‘and acts as a bridge between previous and new.’
‘By following the pure slope of the location,’ he continues, ‘we have been in a position to benefit from the double-height house and create a mezzanine for a library and in addition set up a finest wood-burning range.’
The brand new extension has a decrease floor flooring front room, a floor flooring kitchen – consistent with the remainder of the property – and a mezzanine overlooking each, with the entire house benefiting from pure mild from the big variety of home windows.
‘The brand new format additionally means that you’ve got entry to the backyard from all rooms on the bottom flooring’, Alex explains.
The dwelling house
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From the raised mezzanine, the homeowners can benefit from the inner views of the extension and kitchen-dining room, in addition to the backyard exterior. The peak of the room means that you can look past the backyard to the encompassing lovely nature reserve.
The redesigned house takes up simply 26 sq. meters and transforms movement and entry throughout your complete floor flooring. The change in flooring ranges has been utilized internally with the excessive ceilings serving to to create a sense of extra space.
Externally, the timber construction enhances the masonry development and is clad in charred timber requiring little to no upkeep.
Underfloor heating runs all through the house and is complemented by the wooden burning range, which has been positioned on the rear to create a visible point of interest. A single door has been positioned on the rear of the extension, which faces east.
The dwelling space is situated on the decrease terrace, however nonetheless has a view of the backyard. The architects made certain there can be sufficient top beneath the mezzanine in order that it does not really feel too low, additionally they used a skinny mezzanine flooring development.
The kitchen
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A large new staircase has been put in between the brand new extension and the eating and kitchen space. The flight is strategically positioned to make sure that occupants in each areas have the chance to see and really feel linked to one another.
Strolling into the kitchen from the dwelling space on the bottom flooring additionally creates a way of connection to the remainder of the home, by way of a set of fastened glazing above that gives views of the higher flooring of the primary home.
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The impartial worktop goes properly with the selection of pink cupboards and white partitions, whereas the quartz worktop additionally extends to the again wall.
Intelligent particulars such because the built-in island drawers and the breakfast nook with folding doorways assist make utilizing and within the kitchen easy.
The floating cabinets present house to show herbs and crops, including coloration and curiosity to the uncluttered scheme.
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The brand new spacious kitchen is from Herringbone Kitchens (opens in new tab) and options open shelving and a complementary combine of up to date shaker cupboards in a muted pink hue.
The open design options an outsized kitchen island and pantry, plus full top cabinetry. These floor-to-ceiling cupboards be sure that each inch of the room is maximized with out making it look too crowded. The room supplies the right house for casual meals.
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The kitchen diner is a big however snug room that enables for intuitive motion via the house. A big eating desk supplies extra seating for on a regular basis meals and the house is lit by a grand skylight.
A staircase results in the mezzanine, making a well-thought-out movement between the brand new extension with the brand new frequent areas and the present constructing. The massive format tiles additionally contribute to the sensation of spaciousness and light-weight.
The mezzanine
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As a result of open design of the balustrade, the sunshine filters via the room, the black coloration has been chosen in such a approach that it matches the colour palette of black accents that you can find each inside and outdoors.
The mezzanine placement helps have a good time the completely different vantage factors and encourages an ongoing connection to the outside. The openings additionally assist to interrupt up the massive house whereas offering a pathway for pure mild.
The mezzanine flooring provides a breakout space separate from the dwelling space. This particular house offers the household the chance to show their e book assortment and create a house library.
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‘Externally, the homeowners’ request for a low-maintenance facade,’ explains Alex, ‘meant that we went for a tactile, however naturally charred wooden cladding. All home windows and doorways of the home have been changed with black frames to enhance the brand new design.’
‘Your entire extension in timber body development is extremely insulated and outfitted with composite glazing and a clay tiled roof with black zinc particulars.’
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Proper from the primary entrance you get a glimpse of various areas, which profit from loads of pure mild. A brand new baggage compartment, additionally gained via the reorganization of the inside house, helps to maintain the site visitors areas away from objects and supplies space for storing for coats and footwear.
The black particulars of the balustrades and window frames provide you with a style of what awaits you within the extension and the impartial parquet flooring, whereas the partitions collectively create a contemporary ambiance.
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So whereas the household lived in a home for years that they weren’t utterly pleased with, it will definitely led them to essentially concentrate on precisely what they needed to make it work.
“It pays to reside in a property earlier than you start main works,” says Alex, “so to perceive the property’s specifics and maybe exploit them in methods you did not initially assume doable.”
The constructing earlier than work began
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The prevailing home was sizable, however the areas did not talk properly and there was a pure change in ranges that made the present conservatory really feel indifferent from the remainder of the property.
The previous conservatory was additionally poorly insulated, making it largely liveable in the course of the colder months of the 12 months. Externally, the property appeared dated and in want of an overhaul to make it extra thermally environment friendly and aesthetically pleasing.
Give attention to… Mezzanines
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Alex Rider, director of Rider Stirland Architects shares his finest suggestions and concepts
- MAXIMUM SPACE Zone a big space and create a distinctly separate house. Even a small mezzanine may also help maximize the house you have already got, supplying you with a room inside a room.
- USE THE HEIGHT Be sure to have sufficient headroom throughout the mezzanine itself and room for the steps to entry it.
- LIGHT IT WELL Take into account how you’ll mild the house, do you want extra pure mild and new window openings or is synthetic lighting enough?
- FOCUS ON USE Design with the aim of house in thoughts, a library has completely different necessities than a bed room or front room.
- CONSIDER THE FEATURES Make a function of the balustrade, there are a number of choices obtainable from steel and masonry to wooden.
