We had previously worked on the church, helping to transform the almost derelict building into a vibrant community hub, this second phase focuses on installing a new entrance porch to help to further reinvigorate the building with the community. Our design adds a contemporary copper clad porch, creating a striking, visual statement that will activate the front of the church with the public realm.
Having worked closely with the church, planners and community over the last few years, we are so pleased to have finally got planning in place for this addition. We look forward to sharing updates of the work as it starts on site later this year.
Get in touchto discover how we can help tranform your community project.
We are so pleased to see construction work has started at The Granary, a unique 18th century agricultural building in the New Forest National Park, Hampshire. Our design thoughtfully converts and infills an existing open carport space, to reimagine the ground floor with extended living area.
This allow the first floor to be converted into the private part of the home; by moving all the living area to the ground floor it was then possible to create an additional third bedroom / work space on the first floor, ensuring the long-term future of the building for the young owners.
If you are thinking about reconfiguring your home,get in touch to start the conversation.
We are thrilled to be included in the shortlist for the South Coast Property Awards, in the Architectural Practice of the Year category, you can find the full list of shortlists here.
The event highlights the finest professionals in the field – agents, developers, planners, consultants, property lawyers, housebuilders and of course architects! We look forward to the awards evening in June, good luck to all the entrants.
Homebuilding & Renovating Magazine have once again asked Darren to share his knowledge with their readers. This month the article looks at explaining retrofits and renovations, which can be found in their April edition of the publication. Here we share his thoughts on the topic, if you have any more questions about this topic get in touch with the team today.
What is the difference between a renovation and a retrofit?
When it comes to renovating or upgrading an existing building, the terms renovation and retrofitting are often used interchangeably, but they refer to two distinct approaches. These processes may overlap, but it is important to understanding the key differences.
A renovation typically refers to making good what is already there, this type of work focuses on repairing or restoring a property back to the original condition. This is often part of the scope of work when working on period properties, to restore the property back to its original condition which might have been lost over time and neglect.
Retrofitting is about making updates that improve the performance of a structure, often in terms of energy efficiency, sustainability, and modern functionality. It’s the process of enhancing the existing structure with modern technologies and systems without altering its fundamental character or appearance. For example, this might typically include replacing single glazed windows with energy efficient double or triple glazing, adding insulation to walls or the roof to improve thermal performance or switching to renewable energy systems like solar panels or an air-source heat pump.
Thinking about starting a new project, but not sure where to start?
If you are thinking of starting a self-build project, we understand that it can often feel daunting and you might not quite know where to begin. The team here at Studio BAD have over 50 years’ collective architectural experience designing self-build houses and extensions; we are perfectly placed to help you understand the process a little deeper to ensure you get your project started on the right foot.
Here we sharing some of the most FAQ’s we get from clients at the start of the process, but do get in touch if you have any further questions that we have not covered here.
How do I find a suitable plot of land or property?
If you don’t already have a property that you are looking to transform, then this is a good starting point. This is not always an easy process to find a suitable site, if you haven’t already we would suggest you narrow down your geographical search area and use online databases (for plots of land you can use PlotBrowser). It can also help to get friendly with local estate agents, to help you find that perfect site that can be transformed to perfectly suit you.
Ideally don’t buy any land before you have planning approval in place. Once you have found a potential site, this is a good time to speak with an architect or specialist planning consultant. This gives you an opportunity to check for any restrictions which might impinge on your vision, and arrange to a purchase subject to planning approval.
How much will a self build cost?
Before you commit to buying any property or land, and before you engage with architects too deeply, it is wise to put a realistic budget together on what you have to deliver your project. A very rough guide for a standard domestic construction can cost anywhere between £2,500 and £5,000 + per square meter, depending on the work involved, the level of the finish, complication of the scheme and the quality of the finished fixtures.
Do remember to keep around 15 – 20% in the budget for contingency. This is essential for any unexpected issues, even with the most well experienced team there will be some surprises along the way, especially when working with an existing property.
How do I design a house?
Once you have your site and budget sorted, it is now time to think properly about what you want to achieve. Obviously, it is good to understand the practical needs of the property, such as number of bedrooms, bathrooms and if you need any space to work from.
We would also suggest you think about how you want to live, and how this might adapt over time. For example, do you like open plan kitchens that form a social hub of the house, or do you prefer keeping the kitchen mess out of sight from the rest of the home? If you have children, it is worth planning for their evolving needs; a home suitable for living with a toddler is very different to living with a teenager. A good design should build in flexibility, so the property can support your needs easily as they change over time.
The better idea you have of what you want to achieve, the easier the design process will be. If you are not sure exactly what you want the end result to be, we would strongly suggest you take some time to consider this properly, as otherwise it can create a long and costly design process to get to a point you are comfortable with.
Do I need to work with an architect?
Although you don’t technically need to work with an architect, we strongly advise that you do for most projects. If the scheme is quite simple to explain and doesn’t need high degree of design work, then you might be able to work directly with a skilled contractor and get results you are happy with.
If your vision is more complex, either looking to design a new home or reimagine an existing property, the years of training an architect undertakes can ensure we can get the most from the design, increasing the value of the property in terms of personal value and monetary value. An architect can unlock the potential of a property, or site, to create a home that perfectly fits your needs and maximises the potential of its setting.
When looking for an architect we believe it is important to look for a team who have relevant experience to your project. For example, if you are looking to add a basement extension or are working on a listed heritage building (read more about working on listed building here), it is best if you can work with a team who already have completed experience of these complex projects.
As designing your dream home can be an emotional project, it is important that you actually like and enjoy working with your architect! We would always advise you to work with someone who’s design work you admire, but also that you want to spend the next 6 / 12 months talking to.
What other benefits are there of working with an architect?
Architects don’t just help create a beautifully designed homes and buildings, there is so much more that they can do to support your self-build project to make the process easier at each step.
During the planning process an experienced architectural team can help guide you, this is especially important if there should be any issues or objections to the application. The designs might need to be revised, or the application might be taken to planning appeal and then the architectural team will be able to systematically approach this to help achieve a positive outcome.
Architects’ co-ordinate other professionals needed on your project, such as the structural engineers, party wall surveyors and building control, ensuring all aspects of design are brought together and the design meets with building regulations and local restrictions.
At the tender process your architect can help you to reviewing contractor quotes, to check all aspects of the build are included as you might expect, to help you understand which option might be the best fit for you and your project.
Throughout the onsite construction stages having an architect involved can be hugely beneficial. By closely collaborating with your contractor, they can check the build is progressing in line with the design, to make sure the finished product turns out just as you imagined it. Additionally, they can be help to deal with any unexpected changes which often happen during a build, helping to quickly resolve design complications or material changes, so the end design is still in line with the concept designs.
If you are looking to start a self build project get in touch to see how we can help, at Studio BAD we are a talented team that are as excited in your project as you are.
Last month we finally secured planning for the plans to amend The Granary in the New Forest, we often find planning isn’t difficult to secure for our clients however this project was a little harder to achieve due to its setting within listed building curtilage (it is a heritage asset not listed building status itself). We felt it might be an interesting tale to share, to show the importance design, perseverance and communications can have on a project.
From the onset we knew it might be a tricky scheme to get over the line, as pervious planning applications had stated that the retention of the open bays on the ground level were essential as an intrinsic aspect to the character of the building. However, from investigating the project, working with planning specialists and talking to the local neighbours and council members, we felt we might be able to design something that everyone could agree on.
The property itself does not have an individual listed status, but the building is set within the curtilage of a grade II listed farmhouse and barn, which had to be taken into consideration when preparing the design within the sensitive site. You can read more about working on listed and heritage buildings here.
Our careful design introduced glazing to create an infill to two of the open bay sections, to create a larger living and kitchen space on the ground floor and allowing for an additional bedroom to be created on the first floor. The glazing highlighted the change as a modern addition, preserving the character and appearance of the original scheme.
The initial planning permission refusal was going to be refused, based on the conservation officers concern over the impact this work would have on the character and appearance of the property. We reviewed the comments and refined our design, removing aspects like a Juliette balcony on the first floor and changing the roof light on the side extension to be flush to reduce its visual impact.
Unfortunately, this modified design proposal was still going to be refused, so we took it to a committee where members of the Council took their vote and the permission was granted having won by majority. Taking this route was not an option we take lightly, as we respect the planning department especially in terms of preserving our architectural heritage, but we felt this design had carefully worked with the existing building and would not be detrimental to the heritage of the building. The changes would also allow the owners to stay in the home they loved, rather than out growing the two-bedroom property and having to move.
Alongside working this design work, we also worked to speak to the local council, local authority and neighbours to garner their thoughts and approval of the scheme. The neighbours were actively supportive of the scheme throughout the process, some even spoke at the committee meeting in favour of the plans. This pro-active dialogue with authorities was vital at the planning post-submission stage, to show the sympathetic design was essential for the owners and was approved by those local to the site.
Get in touch if you have a heritage or listed project you might need help achieving planning on.
