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THE PRESTBURY PROJECT: DESIGN & PLANNING CASE STUDY
WHAT WE DID:

  • Enhanced the kerb appeal with a New England flavour

  • Extended above the existing garages to create 4 good sized bedrooms and 3 bathrooms

  • Removed the existing conservatory and designed a new orangery extension to help unlock the kitchen/dining/living space

  • Increased the utility room size for a more practical space

  • Provided a covered front porch area for a welcoming entrance and for also taking off muddy boots!

  • Widened and shaped the driveway to offer provision for additional and attractive parking.

  • Planning application for the scheme

CLIENT BRIEF:

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There were two main objectives for this project, the first to modernise the dated exterior and secondly, resolve the internal layout issues.

 

Our Clients had worked with 2 previous architects before engaging with Back to Front. The first had produced a lovely scheme but was unaffordable and the second delivered their internal layout needs, but the exterior design lacked kerb appeal.

 

It is not uncommon for us to work with Clients who are in this position and our role was to help them get their project back on track.

With their kids growing up, the bedroom accommodation was no longer working for them and required enlargement. The guest bedroom was rather bijou and the family bathroom small and impractical, with no separate shower for teenagers. The master en-suite had no natural light and was cramped.

 

A distinct lack of storage space was a real problem too. The limited storage they did have was under the eaves, not ideal for organising day to day items and they were unable to hang full length garments.

 

To the ground floor, the sitting room was quite long and thin, creating a corridor effect to one end. This never really felt right and was difficult to furnish. Currently, the family were gravitating towards the much smaller and better proportioned snug off the kitchen. The goal was to create a welcoming and comfortable family sitting room that the whole family could enjoy.

 

Off the kitchen space, the conservatory was being used as the dining room. It originally had an internal set of doors but these had been removed to create an open plan living space. Unfortunately, this wasn’t particularly practical as it got very cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.

EXISTING PHOTOS

THE DESIGN PROCESS

All design projects begin with an in depth design consultation, either face to face on site, or for projects further afield like this one, via Zoom. At this meeting we will go into detail about what the problems are internally (and externally), how you live as a family, budget and planning considerations and discussions around the appropriate design direction for the house.

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Often Clients find reading 2D floor plans and elevations challenging to visualise how it will look in real life. By using comprehensive 3D modelling software, we are able to demonstrate how the space will function and flow in addition to  the impact of alterations externally. This enables Clients to understand the implications of what they're asking for and make good choices.

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Our drafts include; 3D external visuals, 3D slice through floor plans, 2D floor plans (important for scale and annotations) along with an interactive copy of the 3D model so design decisions are made fully informed.

 

The gallery below shows the evolution of this project where you can see the original floor plans and elevations along with the proposals made by Back to Front.

HOW WE RESOLVED THE ISSUES:

 

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The upstairs living space needed to be increased and the only way to do this was to extend. We designed an extension to the main roof, over the existing garage and downstairs utility room along with a forward-facing gable extension. This will require strengthening to the existing garage below.

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A bigger bedroom has been arranged to the front of the property with another large bedroom joining behind. Both now enjoy full height storage space. To the landing we now have a large family bathroom with shower and a coveted linen cupboard.

 

The box bedroom was re-purposed to release space and create a guest en-suite. The old family bathroom and master en-suite were knocked through to create a new light, bright master en-suite.

 

The kitchen was lovely and in great condition and it seemed a shame to waste. Therefore the layout was designed to enable them to re-purpose as many of the existing units as possible. The wall has been taken down between the kitchen and snug to create an open plan kitchen dining space. This has been designed with phase-ability in mind.

 

Removing the old conservatory and replacing with an orangery has allowed the sitting room to be extended to improve the proportions and create a large family space offering zonal open plan living, which can be closed off when desired. 

 

A small but important detail was to also bring the front door out by 300mm. This released the entrance door which previously, opened directly onto the staircase. Designed in conjunction with a generous new porch the house now has a welcoming entrance.

 

Externally, to keep some of the costs down, we have proposed painting the existing render to the rear and side. We have included cladding to the new parts to create visual interest and removed the dated tile hanging from the dormer windows, front and rear. Re-cladding the dormers helps tie the scheme together.

 

The existing flat roofs are to be replaced with better insulation and detailing. New natural slates and guttering to the main roof along with new timber windows and doors make a big difference to the overall aesthetic and bring the house from the 1970's into 2020.

  

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