For this early project, the client was looking to significantly increase the area and liveability of their existing home near to the Suffolk coast.  They were inspired by the traditional weatherboarded architecture of nearby Aldeborough and Thorpeness and were keen that their remodelled house reflected this in some way.

The project involved the demolition of an existing poor quality 1960s flat roofed single storey extension and its replacement with a two-storey extension to create two new bedrooms on the first floor and two new reception rooms on the ground floor, linked together by a new double height entrance hall.  The new extension had a traditional steeply pitched roof and existing flat roofed dormers were replaced with a traditional catslide type.

Gaining planning permission for this sensitive rural context was not straightforward.  The client spoke to all the neighbours individually, but this did not allay all concerns and there were some initial objections to the height and massing.  However, we pegged out the extension in the garden and showed the planning committee around the site.  We also prepared analytical drawings to show that the impact of the extension would not be adverse and how the remodelled house would respond more sensitively to its location once the 1960s additions had been replaced.  Permission was granted at the first attempt.

The extension was timber frame, clad with black weatherboarding on the first floor and with a pan-tiled roof to match the local vernacular.  It was built by a contact of the client, a specialist in bespoke timber frame houses, via a negotiated contract.  The client was very happy with the end result, having achieved good value for money for a high quality and substantial extension.