The construction of Courtyard House has come on impressively since we were last onsite to visit. In the past three weeks the house build has progressed from just the finished concrete slab, to now having all the external and internal walls in place, and with most of the roof installed.
The house is being built using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) a high performing composite building system which can be used as an alternative to traditional building methods. One of the key benefits of using this system is the speed of construction onsite, as they are made offsite to exact measurements, which means the time needed onsite is vastly reduced, on average down by 55% from traditional construction methods.
You can really start to see our initial concept designs starting to take shape on site, check out the comparision photos and you can find more project details here.
Our Cedarwood project has been featured in the August edition of Self Builder Magazine.
The article investigates how the property, a timber-framed 1950s bungalow, has been transformed and upgraded, to create a low energy home. The owners, Lettie and Tom had fallen in love with the property and bought it at auction, but didn’t realise just how much work would be involved in bringing it up to modern standards.
This month has seen the construction start in earnest on our Regency Villa project, located in central Southampton, Hampshire. At this early stage, the focus is on carefully stripping back the modern alterations; carefully removing incongruous additions, taking internal stud partitions out, and clearing out the poorly built extension, to reveal the bones of the original period property.
This four-storey listed townhouse, originally built circa 1835, has lost much of its former grandeur over the years, something we are aiming to restore through this deep renovation and reimagining. Most recently, the property had been converted into a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), which obscured much of the original character and has compromised the proportions of its rooms.
We’re thoroughly enjoying site visits at this point in the project. It’s exciting to see what the talented team at Tuakana is uncovering, such as original floorboards that had been covered over, and concealed, fireplaces. With the modern partitions removed, we can now fully appreciate the true dimensions of each room. Standing in these newly opened spaces and witnessing the natural light interact with the architecture is genuinely inspiring.
Our design vision is to return the house to a single-family dwelling, one that celebrates its period features while introducing a contemporary glass extension to the rear. The result will be a comfortable, elegant home that brings together the history of the home with the comforts of modern living.
Get in touch if you have a project you would like to discuss with the design team.
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.
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.
