High Banks

Private residential refurbishment

Our Client purchased the property because they loved the location and outlook of the site. There was a tired C20th block built bungalow on the site, neither addressing nor taking advantage of the vistas and outlook.

The brief was to create an energy efficient, low maintenance house, making the most of the site and outlook, and utilising the existing building footprint and as much of the existing structure as practically possible.

Various options were considered and the final solution used the existing building footprint, retaining the existing external walls and most of the internal spine walls, adding a single storey sunroom and forming new first floor accommodation within a new roof over the ground floor structure.

The layouts have been developed to make the most of the vistas, natural sunlight path and integrate with the external areas, whilst relocating the front entrance to address the building approach from the driveway and site access.

The existing floor slab was retained and the floor level raised to introduce insulation and underfloor heating within a new screed using recycled glass. The existing external walls were insulated beyond current requirements, as was the new roof. High performance glazed units were used to minimise heat loss, maximise daylight and to take advantage of sunpaths.

This house has been designed to accommodate the changing needs of the owners, level access is available throughout the ground floor, with an ambulant disabled stair to the first floor enabling easier access as. Full sleeping accommodation and bathing facilities are also located on the ground floor should this be required in the future.