Macclesfield architect Mark Burgess designs Bollington renovation. Why move house if you don’t have to?
This renovation means the family stays in their desirable location. For five reasons. First, the back garden faces south with a great view of the countryside. Second my clients already live near grandparents. Third the primary school is close. Four they have friendly neighbours. Five my clients wanted to design their own interior. So a renovation was ideal.
Before and After
Before the renovation, the ground floor was a kitchen and living space. After the renovation it is a media room, toilet, kitchen, living space and a utility room. A good example of careful architectural planning. So, much additional function is now active. As well as the renovation there’s an extension too. Also, the bathroom is completely new. Not to mention fitted furniture new in two of three bedrooms. See a similar renovation project of mine here.
After. The timber balustrade is temporary! To be replaced by a stainless steel and glass one. A new landscape design is being commissioned for installation next Spring
Key Points.
Planning approval was necessary.
The development is not Permitted Development. Because the floor level is much higher than the sloping site. And the extension is in the Conservation Area. So the design takes great care to minimise overlooking. Which is a key risk in planning applications. Matching stone is essential. We overcame objections. Persistence with planning officers pays off! The next door neighbour even hired our builder!
The existing house is built of natural stone
But with “rubble walls”. Which are not bonded. That means they could easily fall down during the build. Especially when being propped. Propping is needed to insert steel. As principal designer I have to take care of safety. By designing for it. So I asked structural engineers Northern Structural Services to help. Tim Barrett responds fast. By inspecting and designing special reinforcement. Which builder Tom Monks (TKM Construction) carefully threaded into the rubble wall. I also ask project engineer Mark Edwards Associates to design special steel. In two pieces for easier propping. Skillfully fabricated by M.R.H. Fabrications, Bollington.
The architecture maximises natural light.
By unusual design at the sliding doors. An excellent installation by Clearview. They fix right up to the side walls. You can see in this photo the result. Which is that the wall is lit up from outside. Right up to the door frame. And then light reflects off the wall into the room. Usually you’ll see a “nib” beside the door frame. But not here. See another of my designs here. Renovation means the family stays in a location with direct sunshine.
Design within tight budget! We couldn’t afford to raise the downstand beside the lights. Or extend it over the island as a relfected-ceiling canopy. But by designing to budget the whole project actually happened. Which is more valuable than such nice-to-haves…..
Affordable kitchen.
Wren Kitchens, Altrincham follow architects’ designs. Which in mine includes a secret door into the utility room. That door looks like a standard tall unit. Thank you expert designer Aqsa Imtiaz for your close co-operation.
Why is this project a trailblazer?
Because this renovation is compliant with the Building Safety Act. The BSA triggers new legislation effective October 2023. That requires all clients to appoint a new team member. Clients must already appoint a Principal Designer for the CDM Regulations. But now they must also appoint a Principal Designer for Building Regulations. You can find more here. Unlike some clients mine wants to comply fully with the law. By appointing me as PD for both laws they also get site quality control. Which means all the architecture is faithfully built. And by appointing the architect for site inspections you avoid a lot of hassle. Because I deal with the builder instead of you. This appointment is particularly valuable on renovation projects. That’s because they throw up unexpected challenges. These cannot be encountered until construction is underway.
Happy ending!
My client is delighted with their “new home”. They have good value for money. Tom Monks managed a challenging tight site. And befriended the neighbours. It was sustainable for him commercially. So here renovation means the family stays!
