the existing cottage was a very traditional and almost completely un-modernised one bedroom dwelling house - the clients were looking to use the dwelling as there forever home in retirement - the existing cottage was stripped back to bare walls and solum, allowing a complete internal refurbishment with fully insultated floors, walls and attic space - planning approval was achieve to completely change the orientation of the existing house, blocking up the existing front door and re-orientating the plan to have a more private main entrance bto the side of the dwelling between the existing house and proposed extension to the south of the dwelling
the new extension features sliding doors to the west allowing the new open plan kitchen living space to spill out onto a cover terrace facing the sunset to the west - the blank eastern elevation to the neighbouring cottage is overcome through the introduction of velux rooflights on the eastern facing new roof slope - a ridge beam roof structure to the new space allows 'catherdral' type ceilings to the new living space ensuring constant daylighting of the space at all time of the day and year
internal alterations to the existing house included blocking up the existing central doorway to the street side to form a 'jack and jill' en-suite shower room to serve both master bedroom and the main house - another bedroom was created as well as utility room and additional storage within the footprint of the main house leaving the new extension to contain the kitchen and living spaces with woodurning stove and windows to east.south and west - the energy performance of the revised house was dramatically improve through the use of passive solar gain and storgae within the huge thermal mass of the existing house stonework as well as the introduction of new insulation to walls, floor and ceilings