Bloomfield Avenue A modern garden room kitchen extension
Our brief in developing designs for this project was to replace a small galley kitchen, dark breakfast room, tired utility room and underused conservatory. The end result needed to be light and bright, provide a direct and open relationship between the house and garden, with enough space to function as a multi-purpose room where the family would spend much of their time together. Our proposal created a new open plan space which stretched across the back of the house containing kitchen and family room. We moved the family spaces closer to the garden and the light and utility room into the house where natural light was less important. Large areas of glazing bring high levels of natural daylight into the house. A full width sliding door and floor to ceiling window system blurs the boundary between inside and outside, bringing the garden into the house and making the garden more accessible and usable.
Cedar House A remodelled and extended home in a Conservation Area
The client had purchased a dilapidated 1950s house in a residential street in Bristol, and wanted to transform it into a modern, bright and low energy family home. After discussions about the merits of retaining all, part or none of the existing accommodation, it was decided to leave the front part of the house in tact with a new extension to the rear. The retained section was renovated and included a new slate roof, metal windows and was overclad with insulating render to improve the thermal performance. The rear of the house took on a softer character using western red cedar cladding and contained the new heart of the house; a double height dining space with direct access into the kitchen and a new staircase leading to a first floor gallery.
Cornbury Mill Modern refurbishment of historic watermill
Described as “a picture book C18th mill house set in beautiful mature gardens”, the project to refurbish an old watermill near Devizes turned out to be very challenging. Designscape were appointed to convert the mill for use as a calming weekend retreat. The building had previously undergone many changes and was dark and damp, suffering from low ceilings and made up of many small rooms. Surprisingly perhaps it is not listed and the alterations did not require planning permission.
Our approach was to undertake a sympathetic renovation, stripping back recent alterations and opening up the floorplan to let in more daylight. This simple architectural intervention transformed the interior by providing a light and airy open plan living space, aided by the use of light finishes throughout. Major challenges were overcome during construction including a high water table, significant roof structure repairs, and the reconstruction of a substantial masonry chimney breast. These were addressed in a collaborative fashion by the design team and contractor, assisted by the clients’ understanding approach and trust in their professional advisors. The house is transformed on the inside but little altered externally. It remains a gem and as charming as it always was, but now the interiors are clean, warm, light and a joy to be in.
Sydney Buildings Modern extension of a listed house
Sydney Buildings is a desirable street on the southern slopes of central Bath. Our client purchased a run-down listed property previously used as student accommodation with the aspiration to return it back into a family home. After careful analysis of the historic value of various aspects of the building fabric, we prepared a scheme that stripped away the modern layers of inappropriate interventions, repaired original features and sensitively introduced new services to make the house fit for modern life. The highlight is the new contemporary double-height bay window in the basement that opens out into the garden providing views across the Kennet and Avon Canal to the city skyline beyond.
Monkton Farleigh Timber framed extension to Listed Cottage
The project involved the refurbishment and extension of a grade II listed cottage in the picturesque village of Monkton Farleigh (Green Belt and AONB). One of a row of two, formally three cottages, the building had been extensively remodelled and was badly in need of modernisation. Challenges included a flying freehold over the neighbouring cottage. Designscape were appointed as having the knowledge and experience best suited to the owner’s needs and objectives. The brief was to undertake a sympathetic renovation of the house, strip out modern alterations, make minor modifications to the layout, upgrade building services, and where feasible, upgrade the building fabric. The attic became a main bedroom suite and a poorly constructed C20th extension replaced with a new design built to a high standard and making the most of the garden and views across the fields beyond. The result is a series of high quality, light, airy, warm and healthy living spaces which retain and enhance much of the old character, whilst adding a new layer which will age sympathetically with the dwelling. The project stands out in achieving a successful marriage of thoughtful design, an understanding client, and some conscientious workmanship from the builder which in our experience is a rare commodity in projects of this scale and complexity.
Widcombe CrescentExtension and remodelling of Grade 1 Listed Apartment
Widcombe Crescent is a Grade 1 Listed Building close to the centre of Bath. Our client purchased a duplex
garden apartment that had been unlived in for many years, suffering from damp and neglect, with no spaces
which took advantage of the stunning view to the west. We designed and obtained Planning and Listed Building
Consent for a modern garden room extension, featuring large areas of glass and corner opening doors leading to
a redesigned garden. Inside, we removed the failing C20th modifications which revealed some lost historic
features and devised methods to deal with the failings of the neglected structure – all with the support of the local
Bath and Northeast Somerset Planning and Conservation team. Our clients completed the beautiful interior
design and now enjoy a comfortable modern historic home in the city.
Mount Pleasant A steel framed garden room extension
Occupying a hillside site with good views south over Bradford on Avon, this intricate project proved challenging due to the extent of structural works required to support the existing house above. Fortunate timing meant that our client was able to make use of the contractor who had recently completed a similarly challenging project at Cornbury Mill as well as sharing his desire to achieve high standards of finish.
The uncompromising design removes a lower section of bay window and replaces it with a larger, heavily glazed extension and wrap around slot window which allows natural light to penetrate deep into the house. Internal reorganisation provides much improved open plan living, dining and kitchen areas, facilitated by the installation of a fire resistant glazed screen and new timber staircase to the upper levels. The result is a light and bright multi-purpose room where the family spend much of their time together, providing a new direct and open relationship between house and garden.
Seco Tools New Headquarters
Seco Tools are a tool manufacturer based in Sweden with more than 40 subsidiaries around the world. Designscape Architects were appointed as part of the Seco Tools Global real estate team, in conjunction with workplace specialists Wylde IA to design a replacement to the existing office administration block at the headquarters of Seco France. The existing building, built in the 1960’s was suffering numerous building failures to structure envelope and services. We designed the building to allow for phased demolition and development of the site whilst the existing offices were in occupation. Re-positioning the office accommodation next to the production space also provides an opportunity to better integrate departments, staff and company culture. Seco see the benefits of creating a positive flexible working environment for their staff and customers and have sought to reflect the company’s core values of open and friendly working, client commitment, dedication and expertise in their building facilities. Designscape’s design was developed by the in-country team and is currently under construction.
Designscape have also provided architectural advice; master planning, concept, through to construction design information for several other European sites including; Budapest Hungary and the HQ facility in Fagersta Sweden.
Squash HouseContemporary remodelling of a family home
The existing house was developed within the walls of a former squash club in 2002. This initial conversion failed to make the most of the original building and the client’s brief was to remedy this to provide an environment to suit modern family living. The design inverts the internal accommodation to provide connected living spaces with direct access onto the private external courtyards. New glazed doors slide back into the walls making full-width openings that link the internal and external areas. Bedrooms are relocated to the upper floor behind new clerestory windows with views over Bath. A new open-tread oak staircase connects the three floors and forms the back-bone to the reinvented house.
CourtfieldContemporary extension to Grade 2 Listed House
Originally dating from the C16th, this Grade II listed House built from the local Ham stone has been modified and extended over the centuries. The brief from the client was to re-organise and upgrade the existing accommodation and carry out repairs to the historic fabric. The first phase of this work involved the relocation of the kitchen from the centre of the house into a new extension to connect it with the garden. The scale, massing and materials of the sensitive new addition respect that of the historic house yet is unmistakably contemporary in detail. The house remained occupied during the two stages of work, which also involved the repair of the listed stables and a number of environmental improvements.
