Clapton #56
Project
Clapton #56
Client
Family of 4
Brief
Whole house reconfiguration & refurbishment, dormer extensions, kitchen & dining hub, 2 additional bedrooms, family bathroom.
Location
Hackney E5
Budget
Not available
Duration
26 weeks - Winter 2015
Project Overview:
The project involved the extension and upgrade of an existing backland warehouse conversion in Clapton.
The principal objective of the project was to make better use of the existing attic space in order to generate 2 children's bedrooms and an additional informal living space. Secondarily the brief included the full upgrade and reconfiguration of the existing living, kitchen, and dining spaces, together with the master bedroom, family bathroom and utility space.
Despite the extent of the brief, the budget was somewhat limited and the design process included a substantial phase of value engineering; in close coordination with the Engineer and Contractor we were able to justify the recycling and re-use of all existing steel and timber within the existing property - this helped reduce the overall construction sum significantly. Numerous bespoke elements were also carefully coordinated with the client and contractor in order to find the most cost-effective solutions.
Due to the tight site and proximity to the adjacent Victorian flats, it was considered that Permitted Development allowances offered the greatest opportunity to extend the property and generate the additional roof volume required to meet the brief. Despite the somewhat limiting nature of Permitted Development, in terms of volume, material, and finishes, we worked carefully to deliver a high-quality solution that worked within the constraints of PD policy. We aimed to achieve a result that was both contemporary and yet complementary to the existing building, and which we hoped would maximise the potential within a Permitted Development project. We believe the scheme has succeeded in this ambition and hope that this will set a positive precedent for the potential of contemporary extension and refurbishment within the Permitted Development framework.
The first design step was to extend the existing double hipped roof into a standard gable ended pitched roof. The next step was to introduce 2 large dormers within the volumetric limitations of the PD policy; due to the proximity of neighbouring properties and specifically windows, we decided to remove any standard windows and instead gain all views and daylight via large format flat rooflights.
Another limiting factor within Permitted Development policy is the requirement of flank windows to be both fixed shut and obscured - for this reason we took the step of setting the new attic bedroom windows to the new gable back behind a visual amenity zone - this allows the bedroom windows to be opening without compromising the privacy of the neighbouring gardens.
As with all ARCHEA projects, a relatively simple palette of materials and standard products are used throughout, in coordination with the client's distinct tastes, in order to provide a rich, tailored, bespoke solution.
Featured in the Don't Move, Improve! 2017 Exhibition:
Don't Move, Improve! 2017 Exhibition
Team:
Architect: ARCHEA
Building Control: Assent South East
Engineer: DEC Consulting Engineers Ltd
Contractor: Mabico