As autumn begins, we’ve seen exciting progress across several projects. There have been dramatic changes on site in the New Forest, we’ve once again supported the Homebuilding & Renovating Awards, and our Allegra’s Ambition public art commission has now been installed in Winchester.
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Courtyard House, SIPs Structure
It was fantastic to see the significant progress at Courtyard House during our recent site visit. This exciting project is delivering a striking contemporary home near Burley, in the heart of the New Forest National Park.
The property is being constructed using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), a high-performance composite building system that offers a modern alternative to traditional construction methods. Fabricated off-site, these panels greatly reduce on-site construction time. For this project, it has meant that all walls and the majority of the roofing structure has been erected in under a month!
Judging Industry Awards
Darren was once again invited to join the judging panel for the prestigious Homebuilding & Renovating Awards, held in partnership with The Times and The Sunday Times.
The panel of eight expert judges had the enjoyable, but challenging, task of reviewing all the entries and narrowing them down to a shortlist of just 25 outstanding properties. From this shortlist, the panel will now work together to select the winners for each category.
Have your say! You can also get involved by voting for your favourite project in the Readers’ Choice Award – just click here to vote.
Allegras Ambition Public Artwork Installed
We’re very proud to see the public art we designed for Allegras Ambition now installed outside Winchester Sports Centre.
Our team won the public art competition last year with a well concieved design that incorporates the charity’s logo into a beautifully tactile wooden seat sculpture. The shape of the structure forms a welcoming enclosure, inviting people to gather, sit, lounge, or even climb and crawl across its undulating surface.
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.
We are absolutely thrilled to have won Architectural Practice of the Year at The Business Magazine South Coast Property Awards. It was such an honour to be recognised in this way, especially considering the very tough competition in the category, without the incredible passion and commitment of our truly talented team, this would just not possible.
In the words of the judges, we were chosen “for (our) excellence in community engagement, regional contribution, and environmental integration. The ‘listen first’ approach, adaptive designs, and commitment to reusing existing structures set a benchmark for sustainable, community-focused architecture rooted in local identity and long-term impact”.
This is such an achievement as we are still a small practice, just at the start of our journey after six amazing years in business. A huge thank you, goes out to our amazing clients, consultants, contractors and collaborators, that trust us to deliver projects.
Darren was recently invited by Ideal Home Magazine to share his expert advice about meeting building regulations for an extension. His article covers which building regulations might apply to extensions, if you might need just a building notice or full planning application, if it is possible to build an extension without building regulations and what other permissions you might need for building an extension.
Which Building Regs apply to extensions?
Building Regulations are need for all building work, these are legally binding requirements that ensure all construction work meets regulatory standards for safety, energy efficiency and accessibility and is fit for purpose.
Depending on the scope of the extension you might need to get Planning Permission before you start work. This applies if the project is a significant addition or alternation, it affects the external appearance or if the property is listed or in a conservation area.
Permitted Development is often an option for smaller extensions that meet specific criteria and don’t need Planning Permission. These are usually minor changes like adding a small conservatory or extending a kitchen. However, this can vary depending on the location and type of property so it is always best to double check with your local authority before you start work.
If you live in a terrace property, or want to build onto a neighbour’s adjoining wall, you will need to get a Party Wall Agreement in place. This ensures that both you and your neighbour are aware of and agree to the work, protecting both parties’ interests and addressing any potential disputes.
Do you need a Building Notice or full plans application?
This largely depends on the complexity of a scheme. For a larger, more arduous project we would always suggest you apply for a full planning application, as this route is a more detailed approach. As part of the submission, you include full architectural drawings, specifications and other documentation specific to the scheme. This careful approach ensures everything is pre-approved, reducing any risk of potential issues or costly changes later on in the build.
Building Notice is a simplified route, with only the essential details getting submitted. This can allow for flexibility during the build and can allow you to get started onsite quicker. However, during the construction phase the Building Control Officers would regularly conduct on-site inspections and recommendations which could involve additional unexpected changes as there are no set detailed plans in place. This route can work well for smaller, less complex projects.
Is it possible to build an extension without Building Regs?
No, it might be possible to build an extension without planning permission but not without building regulations as these are legal binding requirement in place to ensure the construction work meets regulatory standards and the building and fixtures are fit for purpose.
Building regulations apply to almost all types of building work, from small porches, a loft conversion or a large rear extension, they all must meet the minimum standards. If you go ahead without these necessary approvals in place, your local council could require you to remove it, or rebuild it to the meet the standards, it would also complicate a future sale of your property.
What other permissions or approvals do you need to build an extension?
Depending on the work needed and the property you are extending, there might be some other approvals you need to get in place before starting work.
When working on a listed building, any alterations—including extensions—require Listed Building Consent from the local planning authority. Listed buildings are protected for their historical and architectural significance, and any changes need to preserve their integrity. Doing work without this consent can lead to serious consequences, including fines or criminal charges.
If you don’t own the freehold of the property, such as in a leasehold arrangement, you must get Freehold Consent from the freeholder or landlord to clarify everything before proceeding with the extension. Lease agreements can have clauses that restrict modifications, so it’s crucial to carefully review the lease. This consent ensures you are legally allowed to make changes to the property, including building or extending.
A Party Wall Agreements are needed when the work involves a shared wall, fence or structure, often found with terrace or semi-detached properties. This agreement outlines how the work will be carried out, including when access is required and any potential impacts on the neighbour’s property. It protects both parties and can help avoid future disputes. If there’s no agreement in place and work starts, you may face legal action, especially if the work causes damage or encroachment on the neighbouring property.
Finally, we would always recommend using approved building inspectors for your project, as we often find this route is quicker, easier and better value for money.
The full article can be found here, or get in touch if you want to speak to the team directly about your extension project.
With the start of the second quarter we wanted to take an opportunity to briefly share a practice update some of our project news, thoughts and advice.
Regency Villa Starts Onsite
Work has started on the Regency Villa, a Grade II Listed townhouse in central Southampton. Our design will sympathetically refurbish,extend and reimagine this beautiful period property, to create a wonderful family home.
The four-storey listed townhouse had previously been subdivided into a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO), our project strips back the modern and out of place additions, to restore the home back into a a stunning single dwelling.
The design will deliver a scheme that enhances the rich, historic personality of the original dwelling, upgrading the energy efficiency of the property, to create a functional and joyful home for the owners and their young family.
If you are thinking of starting a self-build project, we understand that it can often feel daunting.
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 and have recently answered some key FAQ’s on this topic to help you get your project started.
We are thrilled to have secured planning for The Granary, a beautiful heritage building set within the New Forest National Park, and also located within listed building curtilage.
The interesting scheme converts and infills an existing open carport space. Our design has places an emphasis on celebrating the original character of the building, highlighted through contemporary interventions.
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.
