36 HOMEBUILDING & RENOVATING | homebuilding.co.uk

Ian and Catrin Lloyd have remodelled and extended their 1970s house —expanding their living space whilst reducing their carbon footprint

SEVENTIES REVIVALDetails Remodel and extension, Hampshire, Oct 2010 – May 2011Project Cost £350,000 (£1,458/m2) Designer Perring Architecture & Design (PAD Studio)

Linking the old and newVertical cedar boardingdefines the new extension,with the existing sections ofthe house clad in newhorizontal weatherboarding

HOMES | REMODEL & EXTENSION

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HOMES | REMODEL & EXTENSION

Letting in the lightThe new extension is linkedto the house by a hugeglazed panel (BELOW).Existing structural steelworkhas been retained in someareas of the house, such asthe living room/playroom (1).The dining area is open tothe living space and sits inthe new section of the house(2). The modern kitchen (3)leads off from the diningroom space, and makes themost of the light with high-gloss units

We loved this house as it was, and

the last thing we wanted to do was spoil what was already here,”

explains Catrin Lloyd of her family’s eye-catching home. The

property stands in a typical 1970s cul-de-sacdevelopment of rather uninspiring brick propertiesand is set back from the high street of a Hampshirevillage, which lies within a Conservation Area and theNew Forest National Park.

“This was our first home together as a marriedcouple, and since we bought the house in 2007 we’vehad three children,” Catrin says. “I was pregnant withNye when we moved in, and had Wyn two years later.When we realised we were expecting again we knew itwas time to add another bedroom upstairs, and ourdaughter Cadi was born just six weeks after thebuilding work finished.”

Fans of contemporary design, the couple were alsokeen to reduce their carbonfootprint by making their newhome as energy efficient aspossible. Catrin is a communityworker, specialising insustainable development, andwas well informed about theavailable technology. However, she soon discoveredthat many of the local architectural practices sheapproached failed to share her enthusiasm for theproject. “Then in 2010 we found PAD Studio andsomething just clicked,” she recalls. “They specialise insustainable construction and we loved their designs.”

“”

We worried wecould end up with apretentious showhome

A single storey side extension containing the garageand a badly laid out ground floor bedroom providedthe obvious starting point for a new extension, andPAD produced a number of different sketches basedon the family’s needs and the orientation of the site.

The new side extension was conceived as a simpletimber frame box, linked to the existing house byglazed panels to the front and rear, which help tointroduce plenty of light into the interior. The oldtimber boarding has been replaced, new windowswere inserted throughout and a warm roof added.This has been covered in sedum to increasebiodiversity and minimise rainwater run-off.

The first floor was extended to accommodate amaster bedroom with an en suite shower and aprivate balcony. The new guest bedroom also benefitsfrom its own south-facing balcony, with cleverlydesigned solar shading to prevent overheating —allowing this room to be opened in all weathers andproviding privacy from passersby.

Improving the thermal efficiency of the house was apriority, and the walls, roof and windows have allbeen upgraded to exceed Building Regulationsrequirements, whilst the new timber frame extensionis also highly insulated.

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Words: Debbie JefferyPhotography: Nigel Rigden

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Discreetly positioned solar thermal panels werefitted on the sedum roof of the extension, which feedinto a thermal store and supply the family’s hot water.

“The solar panels did cause some problems, butPAD managed to persuade the planning committeethat they should be setting a positive example withinthe Conservation Area, not penalising us for energy-conscious design,” says Catrin.

All of the plumbing and electrics in the house wereupgraded and replaced during the refurbishment,with new energy-efficient lighting, low-flush toiletsand aerated showers fitted throughout. Underfloorheating has been installed in the new spaces, withradiators in the old part of the house and a wood-burner in the living room to provide back-up heating— with wood in abundant supply locally due to theproperty’s New Forest location.

Work started in the autumn of 2010 and the familymoved into a nearbyrented property withtheir two boys, andappointed localbuilding firmRaymond Brown tocarry out the workunder the supervision

of their architect. “I hadn’t realised quite how difficultit would be to come onto the site with two youngboys while I was pregnant, but I did try to keep an eyeon progress and become involved,” says Catrin.

“In some ways choosing environmentally friendlyproducts was helpful, as it reduced our choices andhelped to focus our minds. We wanted to use naturalmaterials and local companies wherever possible,although sadly the roof slates were imported fromFrance because the Welsh ones were so much moreexpensive.”

The couple had harboured concerns that suchdramatic alterations could render their house sterileand unfriendly. “We worried we could end up with apretentious showhome which felt like a hotel, but thisfear proved to be totally unfounded,” Catrin explains.“We lived in a Victorian rental house during the build,which was really dark, so moving back into our ownhome emphasised just how light the interiors are.Now we plan to never move again.”

Pulling in the LightGlass plays a crucial role in the house, both inside andout, and was one of the main reasons Catrin and Ianoriginally bought the property. “As soon as we walkedinside we loved the amount of natural light,” recalls

40 HOMEBUILDING & RENOVATING | homebuilding.co.uk

Amazing glazingGlass balustrades, a hugeskylight and the glass floorpanel make the landing andarea below (4, 5 & 6) astriking talking point

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The children and theirfriends love the glass floor…although everyone is waryof walking on it at first

4 5

6

CATRIN & IAN’SREMODEL & EXTENSION

Construction Timber frameHouse Size 240m2

Build Time Eight monthsBuild Route Main contractorHouse Cost £600,000 (2006)Build Cost £350,000Value on CompletionApprox £1,000,000

REMODEL & EXTENSION | HOMES

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Ian, a managing director. “The previous owners hadalready enlarged some of the window openings, andwe decided to keep the huge timber frames in theplayroom to the front of the house.

Privacy can sometimes pose a problem given theposition of the house — particularly as the house issituated on the main village high street, and touristswill often stop to stare in, and sometimes even wave.“We toyed with the idea of PrivaLite glass, whichturns opaque at the touch of a switch, but it’s anexpensive option which would have blown ourbudget, so we added an opaque film to one of thebathrooms and also to the guest room window facingthe street,” Ian continues.

Choosing the windows and glazed doors was amajor decision, which took some time to finalise.Eventually Ian and Catrin chose a compositealuminium and wood design, with the externalpowder-coated aluminium in a soft grey-green finish.This decision then went on to influence the colour

REMODEL & EXTENSION | HOMES

The existing layout included a ground floor bedroom, a living room, dining/kitchen and utility,with three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. The alterations provide an additional 60m2 offloor space — which includes a remodelled entrance, a new living room and an extension to thekitchen/dining room, with a new guest bedroom and a master suite with a balcony upstairs.

Space for Living

First Floor

Treetop viewsCorner windows (these from Velfac) are something of amotif for house designers PAD. They help to bring lotsof extra light into the master bedroom, which leads outonto a decked balcony 7

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6

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Ground Floor

living

dining

sitting

garagestudy

kitchen utili

ty

bedroom bedroom

bedroom

bedroom

bedroome/s

bath

balcony

Photographs were taken at numbered positions

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43homebuilding.co.uk | HOMEBUILDING & RENOVATING

scheme throughout the rest of the house, includingthe external render panels, and also on the internalwalls. “The windows were definitely our best buy andare such an important part of the house,” says Catrin.

Views inwards and outwards have been carefullyconsidered, and the end result is a light-filled homethat feels connected to its surroundings. “We decidedagainst folding sliding doors because we didn’t wantthe house to appear too showy,” says Catrin. “Wenever used to know if it was raining before, but nowthe children can look out and see the birds feeding inthe garden.”

One of the most dramatic uses of glass in theredesigned house is the insertion of a glass floor panelon the landing. It is positioned directly beneath a largeskylight, which enables light to penetrate into thecentre of the plan.

The old staircase was moved in order to allowbetter use of the existing space upstairs, with a newoak staircase and contemporary glass balustradeproviding a dramatic link between the ground andfirst floor levels.

“ We never used to know if itwas raining, but now the childrencan see the birds in the garden ”

“The children and their friends love the glass floorand are constantly squashing their faces against it —although everyone is a little wary of walking on it atfirst,” says Catrin. “It was quite expensive, and we hadto forgo a second glass floor in the balcony above thedining room, but it’s definitely one of our favouritefeatures and allows you to easily talk to people whoare upstairs, at the same time as bringing in loads ofextra light, which was important to us in this house,where it could have been an issue.”

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USEFUL CONTACTS: Architect Perring Architecture & Design(PAD Studio): 01590 670780 padstudio.co.uk Main builderRaymond Brown: 01725 514040 raymondbrownbuilding.co.ukWindows Velfac Ltd: 01223 897100 Kitchen wall tiles FiredEarth: 0113 244 8404 Recycled glass worktops Glasseco:01293 535003 Mineral paint Ecos Organic Paints: 01524852371 Structural engineer Andrew Waring Associates:01794 524447 Quantity surveyor Patrick Swift of APSAssociates: 01425 278874 Mechanical installation WiltshireMechanical and Electrical: 07957 883246 Electrical installationWiltshire Mechanical and Electrical: 07957 883246 Cedarcladding Vincent Timber: 0121 772 5511 Flat roof Cefil: 0845074 0553 Ironmongery Harbrine: 020 8980 8000 SanitarywareBig Bath Company: 01590 610030 Rooflight Sunsquare:sunsquare.co.uk Rainwater goods Alumasc Exterior BuildingProducts Ltd: 01744 648400 Low-energy lights Aurora:aurora.eu.com

Timber and glassThe flat-roofed extensionfeatures a roof terraceabove. The higher section ofthe extension has solarpanels on the roof

HOMES | REMODEL & EXTENSION