Extension, renovation and energy upgrade of an existing home and a new house
| Type: | Domestic renovation and extension plus a new build house |
| Cost: | c £1,100,000 |
| For: | Daniel |
| Where: | Radlett |
Thursday works are recognised for our knowledge of developing small sites. In this project we designed two seemingly new dwellings on a relatively small site, with one of the houses wrapped around the original house, retaining the structure, and therefore the embodied energy it contains.
We were approached by a former client to work with him to develop designs for his own home, as well as an additional home on his land. This new building would serve to provide an important new home for the area, whilst also financially enabling the alterations to the client’s own home. Developing a separate home on land you already own is a great way to build new homes and unlock value in your land, whether developing yourself or not.
In Radlett, it is common for new homes to be developed, often first requiring the demolition of an existing home to make way for a single larger home, or multiple homes. In order to achieve the larger home our client needed, we developed a strategy of building a new home on the same plot to provide the funding. Initially, this entailed demolishing the existing house, and building back two homes, looking to follow in the steps of the neighbouring plot where they had done something similar. However, on visiting the home, it became clear that the existing building was of good quality, with generous proportions, high ceilings, and a decent layout. Our client was not a fan of the existing aesthetic of the house, and therefore initially wanted to demolish, but considering the quality of the existing building, we proposed that it be retained, with the external appearance overhauled.
Construction of any building involves a lot of material, processing, and transportation, and all of this means that a lot of energy is wrapped up in an existing structure. To demolish it and build new therefore has a significant environmental impact, whilst also being more expensive and disruptive. Our project therefore seeks to set a precedent for a more sustainable approach to redeveloping a site, creating more homes, upgrading the environmental performance of the site, and retaining the existing structure, all while producing the look of a new building that is financially viable for our client.
The redeveloped site looks to create a clearer community at the end of the street, with the main house looking down the road. A turning head in front of the new house means that new and existing residents can more easily get around, as well as delivery and emergency vehicles. Gable ends and roof forms are drawn from the nearby buildings and are used to articulate the spaces around the buildings. Consultation with neighbours shaped the building’s relationship with its edges and led to the provision of additional off-street parking spaces. The result is two homes that are generous, well proportioned, adaptable, beautiful, and flooded with natural light.
