Project: Sewell’s Orchard
Built in 1936, Sewell’s Orchard is the central of a group of three houses designed by the architect Mary Medd (nee Crowley, 1907-2005). It is a large, detached house surrounded by views over open countryside that sits on a plot of approximately half an acre. Mary Crowley originally designed the house for her parents. The house was Grade II listed in 1982. JPA were brought in to make significant but sensitive changes - mainly to the living accommodation at ground floor, and also to restore original features externally.
Brick-built using local yellow Hertingfordbury bricks and featuring a monopitch roof and bright, airy rooms, the property was inspired by Crowley’s visit to the Stockholm Exhibition of 1930, where she had admired the simplicity and straightforwardness of Swedish Modernist design.
A former study within the annexe is replanned as a guest room. The house was in very good repair inside and out but as with any house from this era, thermal performance of the windows is poor. There were not able to be upgraded to double-glazed and so required replacement.
In restoring the house and upgrading to meet the current owner’s needs,
The heating and electrical services also required updating. Kitchens and
we seek to return the exterior of the house to its original form – an exten-
bathrooms were replaced.
sion (added some forty years ago) is to be remodelled as the main living space. The former reception and dining rooms remain, but a new open plan space is created within the later extension, formerly a ‘granny annexe’ which is to be opened up with large new sliding windows to provide a large living room that opens up onto the garden. This space will connect to a new kitchen. The annexe brickwork is painted white to clearly express its nature as a later addition to the original house.
PROJECT DETAILS Client: Status: Contract value:
Steve + Heidi Gibbons Completion 2014 c. £150,000.00