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Contents
July 2022
Regulars 11 EDITOR’S LETTER 17 KEVIN McCLOUD
Our editor-at-large reports back from Barkitecture 2022, a design competition with a difference
69 SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
13 issues of Grand Designs magazine for just £29.99 146 MY GRAND IDEA Creating a bioclimatic house in the French countryside
146 13
17
News 13 ARCHITECTURE UPDATE
New and inspiring projects 113 KITCHEN UPGRADE The latest designs, surfaces and appliances 127 BATHROOM EDIT Stylish new additions for the smallest room
127 MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 5
CONTENTS
Homes 20 SURREY SELF-BUILD The trials
and triumphs of constructing a house on a tricky sloping site 33 GEORGIAN RENOVATION
Turning a listed five-storey townhouse into a family home required the perfect mix of meticulous planning and passion 47 HISTORICAL REMODEL Built in 1892, this narrow house in Chicago, USA, needed more light and a much better layout 58 ECO-FRIENDLY APARTMENT
Two architects transformed their north London flat with a careful eye on sustainability
20 Projects
33
73 GRAND BUILD An update on the
105 BUYER’S GUIDE TO CLADDING
changes to Building Regulations 79 GRAND GUIDE Ten houses taking advantage of their waterside settings 95 ACCESSIBLE DESIGN Advice and inspiration for creating a home that can be enjoyed by everyone
What to consider when choosing a new exterior finish 117 PROJECT KITCHENS A selection of the latest sinks and taps 130 PROJECT BATHROOMS Shower design ideas and practical solutions
79
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EDITOR’S LETTER
T
his month sees the introduction of changes to the Building Regulations in England that are designed to enhance energy efficiency. Anyone submitting a building notice, full notice or plans after 15 June must comply with the updated rules, which apply if you’re undertaking certain renovations or building something new such as an extension or a house. Approved Documents L, F and O detail the standards that homes must meet to help towards the government’s aim of lowering household carbon emissions. Part L covers a structure’s energy efficiency, part F is concerned with ventilation, and part O is designed to prevent a building overheating.
Approved Document S deals with the provision of infrastructure for electric vehicles in a new-build home. If the results of a YouGov online survey of adults in Great Britain are anything to go by, these changes will be very welcome. Conducted on behalf of the Building Societies Association (BSA) and the National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA), the survey revealed that a significant number – 89 per cent – of those interested in building their own homes feel that energy efficiency is important to them. You can find more detail on the updated Building Regulations and how the entire process works in the feature on P73.
COVER PHOTO ANDREW WALL
K AREN ST YLIANIDES , EDITOR
PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL DYER
@StylianidesK
A beautiful waterside home in Bolinas Bay, California, USA. Turn to P79 for more
MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 11
As award winning architects and designers we aspire to create extraordinary buildings and spaces for our clients, sometimes from the most difficult of design briefs. Central to our philosophy is that good design should reflect the needs of our clients and respond to the surrounding environment. Pushing the boundaries of design we are able to achieve timeless, highly innovative and sustainable projects. We offer a complete design service from initial advice through to the completion of your project. We complete works all over the UK and internationally with construction budgets from £250,000. Please take a look around our website and email us or call with your new project enquiry for a free consultation. Tye Architects t: 01525 406677 e: nicolas@tyearchitects.com w: www.tyearchitects.com
new builds
extensions
conversions
NEWS
Architecture update Original projects to inspire your own self-build or renovation
Country outlook
One couple asked architecture practice McGonigle McGrath to replace their brick 1970s bungalow with a home that made the most of the views and had space for their four children and to host friends. Located in a small village on the edge of the Lagan Valley Regional Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland, the 400sqm, five-bedroom house has a steel frame, loadbearing brick walls, hardwood windows and concrete floors. It is arranged in two slightly offset halves beneath a zinc-clad gullwing roof, with its longest side facing the valley. (mcgoniglemcgrath.com)
All things bright
Space manoeuvre Nimtim Architects (nimtim.co.uk) remodelled a four-bedroom 1920s semi in East Dulwich, south-east London, by removing a wall between the kitchen and dining room and reducing the size of the hall to create a utility room and a toilet. A clever floor-to-ceiling plywood unit by Chipfix Furniture (chipfixfurniture.co.uk) partitions the staircase from the kitchen and living space, and includes pocket doors, arched alcoves, cupboards and a crafting area.
Homes both old and new are dressed up to surprise and delight in House of Joy (Gestalten, £40, out now), a celebration of interior décor. Expect curves and arches, whimsical furniture and swathes of pattern and print. Above all, colour reigns supreme. Selected from around the world, the houses and apartments include Memphis references, nods to eclectic 1990s styling and present-day maximalism. (gestalten.com)
MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 13
NEWS
Architecture update Reuse commitment
On a farm in East Kilbride, Scotland, Ceangal House is a new-build home designed for a family of five by architecture practice Loader Monteith. Arranged around a courtyard, it replaces some dilapidated 19th-century buildings. One wing of the L-shaped, 220sqm house includes the living areas and a first-floor guest bedroom, the other has four bedrooms. In a bid for sustainability, 90 per cent of the masonry from the old buildings was reused and the owners cleaned more than 4,000 bricks for a herringbone floor, set above underfloor heating. (loadermonteith.co.uk)
Light control Tackling the tricky conversion of a 60sqm artist’s studio in Kensington, central London, fell to Vatraa Architecture. To turn it into a 137sqm, four-bedroom home, the practice dug 4m down to build two basement bedrooms. An air-source heat pump (ASHP), mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system, insulation and improved airtightness reduced the operational CO2 by 60 per cent. The basement and lowered ground floor are kept bright thanks to a lightwell and the glazed roof. (vatraa.com)
A shift in focus A complete refurbishment and extension transformed a detached five-bedroom Victorian villa in north Leeds for a young family with two children. Gagarin Studio reorientated the house around a new cobbled courtyard and entrance, designing a covered walkway in steel and iroko with cedar cladding and a green roof. A glazed link joins the 60sqm extension to the main house. Built in masonry with exposed timber scissor roof trusses and clad in raised seam zinc, it mirrors the gabled roofs and dark gritstone of the house. (gagarinstudio.co.uk)
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Faced with a narrow 283sqm sloping site, architect Srijit Srinivas designed a 117sqm, three-bedroom house for a couple in Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala, India. Srijit took advantage of the slope with stepped levels following the contours of the land. The entrance opens onto an internal courtyard with a skylight and leads to a living room, kitchen, dining area and a bedroom with en suite. A concrete staircase leads up to an en-suite bedroom with a balcony, a second living room and another en-suite bedroom. (srijitsrinivas.com)
WORDS CAROLINE RODRIGUES PHOTOGRAPHY AIDAN MCGRATH, MEGAN TAYLOR, DAPPLE, VATRAA, ANDREW WALL, JUSTIN SEBASTIAN
Topographical solution
new houses | extensions | refurbishments | basement excavations | swimming pools
Photography: Mel Yates
Looking for an architect to help you create a unique, contemporary home? Gregory Phillips will work with you every step of the way. Contact us via www.gregoryphillips.com or follow us @gregoryphillipsarchitects on Instagram. gregoryphillips.com | +44 20 7724 3040
EXCLUSIVE COLUMN
Kevin
McCloud Our editor-at-large on a design contest with a difference, where the joy of taking part was its own reward
D
esign competitions are considered the lifeblood of development, the opportunity for patrician landowners, company boards and munificent philanthropists to engage with creative minds and to play the role of patron. Patronage is an altogether old-fashioned word for a rare and therefore exclusive experience, one where money is spent without always a clear notion of what it’s being spent on and where wealth is used to support the creative industries. Patronage is considered noble and civilised because it has often converted cash that was grubbily earned into spotless virgin work. By this immaculate deception all stains of exploitation are washed out and the currency is converted into tangible goodness bleached of its sins. Importantly, patronage often results in greater public accessibility to these artistic goods. We can all peer through the admirable glass of the Blavatnik School of Government in Oxford that bears its patron’s name, wonder at its openness and high principles embodied in concrete and enveloping curves, and marvel how it came to be and by what means. Without patronage Bach would have produced a very slim oeuvre, Beethoven and Haydn would have retired as music teachers with very little to their name and countless great artists would be unknown to us. Turner is the giant of English painting only thanks to the enduring support and tireless
promotion afforded him by John Ruskin, which in turn was only possible thanks to Ruskin’s personal wealth derived from his family’s interests in trading alcohol. Michelangelo, a man intent on discovering fresh meaning within a block of pristine marble, did not enjoy the process of patronage. He complained that, ‘I cannot live under pressures from patrons, let alone paint.’
By the immaculate deception of patronage all stains of exploitation are washed out At international levels patronage is competitive. One billionaire philanthropist builds a new gallery with a starchitect in California, another responds with a cultural centre in Sydney. A third commissions an archive building in Berkshire to contain, enshrine and further ennoble his family’s archives which, if they were not of national importance before, are now. Such is the transformative power of patronage: it can restore youth to old bones and revitalise the spirits of the patron. It can crystallise inchoate ideas into a tangible object or space. It can lend importance and seriousness. Culture and progress can be measured
by its risk. Reputations can be cast down or alternatively made near immortal. But, as Michelangelo suggested, the experience for the creative, architect or artist is not always as refreshing or rejuvenating. For architects, design competitions may be important opportunities to develop ideas, compete and tender for projects, but they can be fraught and timeconsuming for ultimately no end. They can sap a practice of energy and drain the lifeblood from it. The late Richard Rogers told the story of how his young practice, having worked on the fabulous Pompidou Centre in Paris, opened shop and waited for important corporate customers to start pouring through the door. None came and the practice was so lean on commissions that it disbanded. Rogers went to America to teach, his colleague John Young drove a taxi. Then came a design competition for which they were invited to tender on the recommendation of the RIBA. It was for Lloyds of London, which needed a new building. The competition was tough and the practice was under-resourced, but it won and the Lloyds building concretised its reputation. This
MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 17
EXCLUSIVE COLUMN
ARE YOU PLANNING ? A TV’s Grand Designs is looking for exciting projects to feature on the programme. Does your build fit the bill? To apply, please visit granddesigns.tv
18 JULY 2022 /
MAGAZINE.COM
The Dome-Home, Foster + Partners’ Barkitecture entry
So my enormous thanks go out to the judges who gave so generously of their time: Stephen Bayley, the design authority and author for whom the term guru was invented; Keith Weed, president of the Royal Horticultural Society, who amazingly had just finished hosting the Chelsea Flower Show the day before; and the comedy genius that is Bill Bailey who, just as amazingly, had finished a year-long tour the night before. They brought as much design knowledge, fun, grace, wit and charm as was palpable in the kennel designs themselves. But perhaps the biggest thanks have to go out to the practices who supported Barkitecture with their time, their sweat and their genius. Most built the kennels themselves, in their studios or even at home. Our two student exhibitors gave the more mature architects an off-the-leash run
for their money. The financial contribution each entrant received was £250 which, of course, didn’t cover the petrol, and everyone dedicated much more cash and infinite energy to their projects. It was, in short, humbling to witness the enthusiasm and joy with which the designers poured their souls into the work. This was, thank goodness, an innocent project, a sweet moment of giddy mirth after two years of hardship and pain for all of us. There were no ulterior motives or egos to be massaged. There was no patronage or cut-and-thrust competitiveness. We weren’t commissioning a new hospital, just judging a slightly silly and well-intentioned idea, and it was glorious. It was, for all its lightness and shared enthusiasm, just about the best kind of design competition you could have hoped for. Gretta Funnell’s Malaysian-inspired Cambridgeshire home PHOTOGRAPHY TOM BAIGENT, JEFFERSON SMITH
was all skin-of-teeth stuff, a familiar situation where the patron was insulated by wealth and the practices pitching for work were desperately exposed and vulnerable. Your author writes this mindfully and with a little guilt because I’ve just got back from Sussex where I helped to curate Barkitecture, a design competition with a different bent. It was part of a huge festive event called Goodwoof, organised by the Duke of Richmond and his team. By now you’ll have guessed what it was about. The competition was to design a kennel for the 21st century, and the amount of interest from practices around the country was disarmingly enthusiastic. For the weekend we shortlisted the entries down to 16 projects, all of which were built. The line-up of talent was stellar: the incomparable master of the modern villa, John Pardey; Haysom Ward Miller, the winners of House of the Year in 2018; and three practices who have enjoyed exposure on Grand Designs. Norman Foster produced an exquisite piece of modern marquetry; Richard Rogers’ practice designed a kennel as a tribute to Star Wars; David Linley built a miniature Venetian palazzo, the Doge’s House – geddit? – and Hopkins Architects built a refreshingly opensource design which it happily shared with all comers. All these and others were brilliant. Thousands of people and thousands of dogs enjoyed Barkitecture. Many bid on the kennels in a charity auction for the Dogs Trust that raised over £35,000, a wonderful sum.
American influence The memory of a stateside home inspired aspects of this house in the English countryside WORDS DEBBIE JEFFERY PHOTOGR APHY JULIET MURPHY
HOMES SURREY
IN BRIEF –
LOCATION Near Farnham, Surrey TYPE OF PROPERTY Detached self-build BEDROOMS 5 PROJECT STARTED June 2019 PROJECT FINISHED November 2020 SIZE 305sqm LAND COST £400,000 BUILD COST £2,300 per sqm
The secluded plot is almost an acre in size. Part of the top floor cantilevers over the level below and shelters the front door MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 21
W
hen Kari Erickson saw the drawings for the home she and her husband Rob had commissioned, she realised it resembled the house built by her parents in 1982 in Minnesota, USA. ‘As soon as he saw the plans my brother said, “You’re building mum and dad’s place,’’’ Kari explains. The couple’s new home would replace the 1960s-built house that they and their 11-year-old twin daughters Solveig and Linnea had been living in for six years. They had planned to renovate and extend the property, but it had subsidence and was too rundown to make the work practical. So executive coach Kari and Rob, who is a sales director for a manufacturing company, hired architect Kate Stoddart to design and build a replacement further up the sloping site. They were excited by the promise of improved views and light. ‘The design included living areas upstairs, and a bank of south-facing windows just 22 JULY 2022 /
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like my parents’ house,’ Kari says. ‘I gathered pictures together for Kate who brought all our ideas together.’ The two-storey home nestles into the gradient with some rooms and storage spaces below ground level. This kept the roof low in the landscape, but allowed for high ceilings in the first-floor rooms, as there is no need for a loft. ‘The old house was at the bottom of the slope and didn’t benefit from the views or light,’ Kate explains. ‘Walking the site, I could see the best outlook is to the south-west.’ She designed an overhanging roof to shelter the expanse of glazing on the first floor so it didn’t cause the house to overheat in the summer. ‘Unusually, the planning application was submitted in four stages,’ Kate says. The proposal to build a home 10 per cent bigger than the 1960s house accounted for two applications, and once the build was complete they planned to apply for an extension – increasing the house’s size by 40 per cent in total. But then a planning consultant recommended
ABOVE Leading up to the first-floor living area, the open-tread staircase has a timber handrail and is lit from beneath by LED strip lights RIGHT The discreet blinds are triggered by a light sensor on the roof, which automatically lowers them at dusk and raises them in the morning
HOMES SURREY
MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 23
F L O O R PL A N S
WC
STORE
PLANT ROOM SNUG
CINEMA
PANTRY
UTILITY ROOM
TERRACE KITCHEN WC
DINING AREA
BOOT ROOM
SHOWER
EN SUITE
BEDROOM BEDROOM OFFICE/BEDROOM BEDROOM LIVING AREA
DRESSING ROOM
STUDY
GROUND FLOOR
24 JULY 2022 /
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FIRST FLOOR
BEDROOM
HOMES SURREY
THIS PAGE AND FAR LEFT The snug features a sectional Jasper sofa from Love Your Home upholstered in velvet
‘The design included living areas upstairs, and a bank of south-facing windows just like my parents’ house’ MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 25
HOMES SURREY
going for a pre-application to see if the council would agree to the extension in principle, which was the case. After this a fourth and final application sought approval for the entire house, including the extension. The council agreed that building in one go would cause less disruption to the local area compared to a phased approach and so gave permission for the project in full. The build started with excavation work and more than 200 lorry loads of soil removed from the site. ‘The entire hill collapsed, which set us back six weeks,’ says Kari. ‘Underground waterways lead down to a stream in the garden, and at one point the water was up to our knees. Our structural engineer recommended building a reinforced concrete bridge over the stream, together with a dam, retaining walls and land drains, which 26 JULY 2022 /
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made the costs spiral.’ Kari and Rob compensated for the unexpected expense by sourcing lower-cost options for some of the fixtures and fittings. Although the excavations caused all sorts of disruptions to the schedule, having the ground floor partially built into the slope benefits the house as the surrounding soil provides extra insulation, plus the blockwork structure is insulated above Building Regulations standard. On the north-facing side of the house, smaller windows limit heat loss while rooflights let in a generous amount of light. Kari and Rob, who are both 51, specified a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system and underfloor heating, which is supplied by a gas boiler. ‘We also have a rainwater harvester
ABOVE The kitchen was designed to suit Kari, who is 5ft1, so the oven is at a lower height than usual RIGHT A wall of glazing opens up the first-floor living area to a terrace so the family can relax and enjoy the views
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HOMES SURREY
LEFT A woodburner from Hwam provides a focal point in the living area. Kari bought the walnut Linear cabinet from Room & Board ABOVE Engineered oak flooring runs throughout the space. The window seat is a slab of American oak installed by Magic Bean Designs
with a 4,800-litre tank,’ says Kari. ‘It’s fed from the rubber-covered roof and used to water the garden.’ The couple’s first choice for the exterior render colour was white, but they realised it might not be the best option for a home in the countryside, so they picked a practical anthracite grey instead. This is teamed with larch cladding and glazing with dark grey frames. Inside, the doors, architrave, bannisters, kitchen cabinets are all dark grey, with most walls painted in toning shades of pale French grey. ‘When my parents built their home, I remember them being intent that every part of it should look good and serve a purpose,’ says Kari. ‘This was so important to us as well and there’s not one part of the house that we don’t use and enjoy every day.’ MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 29
Large-format marble tiles from Mandarin Stone were chosen for the family bathroom, which features a 1,500mm-long Vincent Alexander tub RIGHT Strips of oak cladding behind the couple’s bed provide a colour and texture contrast to the walls, which are painted in Lamp Black by Little Greene
HOMES SURREY
S U PPL I E R S – STRUCTURE PROJECT TEAM Architect Kate Stoddart (katestoddart.co.uk) Doors and windows Norrsken (norrsken.co.uk) Rooflights Roof Maker (roof-maker.co.uk) Building contractor Wey Developments Larch cladding Vincent Timber (01252 795643) (vincenttimber.co.uk) Project manager Knight Project Management Larch treatment Sioo Wood Protection (knightprojectmanagement.com) (sioox.org.uk) Structural engineer Keith Farquharson Render K Rend (k-rend.co.uk) Associates (01322 315588) Rubber roof covering Rubber4roofs Contract administrator Elson Project (rubber4roofs.co.uk) Management Limited (07748 632383) Landscaping Gill German (01420 472509), FIXTURES & FITTINGS Victoria Bailey Gardens Rempp kitchen Chisholm Design (victoriabaileygardens.co.uk) (chisholmdesign.com) Smart home and cinema installation Tiles Ca’Pietra (capietra.com), Homedia (homedia.london) Mandarin Stone (mandarinstone.com)
Paint Little Greene (littlegreene.com) Wood flooring UK Wood Floors (ukwoodfloors.co.uk) Sanitaryware supply The Farnham Bathroom Company (farnhambathroom.co.uk) Sanitaryware Catalano (catalano.co.uk), Crosswater (crosswater.co.uk), Duravit (duravit.co.uk) Bath Vincent Alexander (vincent-alexander.co.uk) Fireplace Bellfires (bellfires.online) Woodburner Hwam (hwam.com) MVHR Zehnder (zehnder.co.uk) Underfloor heating Andrew M Winch (01420 22316)
FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Wardrobes, office desks and window seat Magic Bean Designs (magicbeandesigns.com) Sectional sofa Love Your Home (love-your-home.co.uk) Cabinets Room & Board (roomandboard.com) Automated blinds QMotion (qmotionshades.co.uk) Music/cinema system Dolby Atmos (dolby.com) Ceiling lights Loxone (loxone.com) Decorative lighting Globen Lighting (globenlighting.se), Nordlux (nordlux.com), &Tradition (andtradition.com)
MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 31
ENGINEERED FOR LIVING DESIGNED FOR LIFE
MINIMAL FRAME SLIDING DOORS • FOLDING DOORS ROOFLIGHTS • STRUCTURAL GLAZING • WINDOWS Renka Ltd 34/36 New John Street West, Birmingham, West Midlands, B19 3NB 0121 333 4665 • sales@ renka.co.uk • renka.co.uk
HOMES CENTRAL LONDON
The spacious kitchen includes a seating area with a grand fireplace that’s original to the house. It was restored by Cliveden Conservation
Turning back the years Once divided into three parts, this renovated Georgian townhouse is made whole again WORDS EMILY BROOKS PHOTOGR APHY JIM STEPHENSON
MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 33
Specialist company Paye restored the staircase. The skirting, door and architrave are painted in Railings by Farrow & Ball
IN BRIEF –
LOCATION Central London TYPE OF PROPERTY Georgian townhouse BEDROOMS 6, plus 2 in the basement annexe PROJECT STARTED January 2018 PROJECT COMPLETED December 2019 SIZE 500sqm PROPERTY COST £9 million BUILD COST £900,000
HOMES CENTRAL LONDON
ost of central London’s Georgian townhouses are not homes any more. They’re galleries, dental surgeries, solicitors’ offices or commercial spaces. That’s why architect Anaïs Bléhaut was excited to be asked to return one of these handsome old souls to its intended purpose. Before Elsa and Charles Vuillet bought the five-storey house, it had been divided up, probably in the mid-19th century, with a flat on the lower ground floor, offices on the ground and first floors and a maisonette on the top two. ‘We knew it could be a great place to live, and that it would be loads of work,’ says Elsa. Elsa, 47, and Charles, 50, who have five children, Henri, 18, Louis, 16, Sixtine, 13, Thalie, ten, and Leon, five, came to London from France 12 years ago. ‘We wanted to live abroad for the experience, and for the
M
ABOVE Elsa, Leon and Thalie sit at the kitchen island, which has a Corian worksurface. The pendant light is from Foscarini LEFT The staircase has an ornate iron and timber balustrade. A mural by Michael Dillon features exotic birds in a dappled sky
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HOMES CENTRAL LONDON
children to discover a new country,’ Elsa explains. But their planned 18-month stay was extended indefinitely when they fell in love with the capital. The household of seven had outgrown their previous home, and the abundance of space in the townhouse was one of its main attractions. Anaïs was given a simple brief by Elsa and Charles, who is the CEO of a cosmetics company, to create the best family home she could. ‘It was very exciting to look at the house and think, “How am I going to make this into a family home again?”’ she says. A plan developed for a kitchen, living room and dining room on the ground floor. The first floor would include a family room with TV and pool table, and a music room, with five bedrooms arranged across the two floors above.
It was very exciting to look at the house and think, ‘How am I going to make this into a family home again?’ The lower-ground floor level is in two parts, with a guest bedroom, bathroom, utility room and wine cellar to the back of the house and a self-contained two-bedroom basement flat at the front. The flat was also renovated, ready for the children to move into as they reach adulthood. For Anaïs, conserving old buildings is a passion. ‘Seeing the scale of the project and the historical details in isolation was inspiring,’ she says. Once the newer partitions had been removed and the house returned to its original layout, Anaïs brought in a network of craftspeople. Plaster specialist Cliveden Conservation stripped the paint off the ornate cornicing and replaced any missing plasterwork, while stone conservationist Paye cleaned and repaired the Portland stone staircase and period fireplaces. The original pitch pine floorboards were sanded and repaired.
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The cornicing in the kitchen is original, as is most of the plasterwork. Three of the scrolling motifs in the corners survived, so a mould was taken to restore the missing one
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The restored staircase is almost unrecognisable from when its stonework was painted and the treads carpeted. This feat of Georgian engineering is the backbone of the house. ‘I spend a lot of my day going up and down the stairs,’ says Elsa. ‘The big windows and the painting on the wall make it a pleasure.’ As well as peeling back the house’s layers, Anaïs made it more practical. Two small, early 20th-century extensions at the back of the ground floor were rebuilt, one as a cloakroom and the other for a staircase leading down to the guest room, laundry and wine cellar. The original staircase was next to the front door, but it made more sense to move it to within easy reach of the kitchen. The old stairwell was blocked up and turned into a coat cupboard. As the house is Grade II listed, Anaïs was not permitted to interfere with the structure of the building, which called for some ingenious
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workarounds. The music room’s dividing wall, which looks like built-in joinery, is actually a self-supporting piece. The services for the electrics, plumbing and ventilation were shifted to a riser added to the back exterior of the house. And the run of kitchen cabinets is anchored to the wall in two places, for which Anaïs had to get listed building consent. Anaïs’s proposed colour palette included shades of white, grey and black, but Elsa pushed for bolder hues. ‘I wanted to make it our space,’ she says. So the smaller rooms at the front of the house are each painted a different colour, with dark blue for the dining room, carmine red for the music room and a mustard yellow for the study. New pieces of furniture sit beside old favourites and objects collected during the couple’s travels. ‘There’s a whole mix of different influences in the house’ says Elsa. ‘In French we’d call it boho-chic.’
RIGHT AND BELOW LEFT On the first floor a freestanding dividing wall with sliding doors separates the music room from the family room. It is lined with sound-absorbing red velvet
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A bay window in Elsa and Charles’s en-suite bedroom is the perfect spot for a freestanding bath. The Chinese screen belonged to Elsa’s grandmother
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As the house is Grade II listed, the architect was not permitted to interfere with the structure
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F L O O R PL A N S
BEDROOM
BEDROOM
BATHROOM
BEDROOM
BEDROOM
TOP FLOOR
BEDROOM OFFICE DRESSING ROOM
EN SUITE
SECOND FLOOR
MUSIC ROOM
FAMILY ROOM
FIRST FLOOR
WC DINING ROOM LIVING AREA
TERRACE
KITCHEN
GROUND FLOOR
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HOMES CENTRAL LONDON
Pale gold brassware from Vola stands out against dark blue concrete basins in the couple’s en-suite bathroom. The limestone wall and floor tiles are from Mandarin Stone
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S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Daab Design (daabdesign.co.uk) Structural engineer Blue Engineering (blueengineering.co.uk) Contractor Blake Builders (blakebuilders.co.uk) Stone conservation specialist Paye (paye.net) Plaster conservation specialist Cliveden Conservation (clivedenconservation.com) AV consultant Smart AV Solutions (savsolutions.co.uk) Landscape designer Olivia Rossi (oliviarossidesign.com) FIXTURES AND FITTINGS Kitchen appliances Gaggenau (gaggenau.com) Kitchen handles Buster + Punch (busterandpunch.com) Kitchen and bathroom taps Vola (vola.com) Kitchen sink Franke (franke.com) Kitchen worksurface Corian (corian.com) Paint Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com)
Mural on staircase wall Michael Dillon (dillonmurals.com) Lighting Atelier Alain Ellouz (atelier-alainellouz.com), Delta Light (deltalight.com), Flos (flos.com), Foscarini (foscarini.com), Michael Anastassiades (michaelanastassiades.com), Ochre (ochre.net), Rothschild & Bickers (rothschildbickers.com) En-suite bathroom tiles Mandarin Stone (mandarinstone.com) Cast concrete basins Kast (kastconcretebasins.com) Fabric for blinds and upholstered music room wall Osborne & Little (osborneandlittle.com) Sanitaryware Duravit (duravit.co.uk) FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES Bed La Maison London (lamaisonlondon.com) Dining table Ochre Vintage dining chairs Phillips (phillips.com) Kitchen stools and ground-floor sofa Saba Italia (sabaitalia.it) TOP AND ABOVE Thalie and Leon share a room on the top floor. Anaïs created a freestanding partition with a bed on either side, one raised and one at floor level
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HOMES USA
This 130-year-old house still has its original windows. A century-old front door was found at a local salvage yard
Honour the past Discreet changes to this Victorian home highlighted its historical character while updating the space for the present and future WORDS JANE CRITTENDEN PHOTOGR APHY AIMEE MA ZZENGA
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S
ometimes reworking the layout of a home and bringing in more light is all that’s needed to completely transform it. This was the case for architect Danielle Beaulieu, her husband David Welch and their Victorian cottage in Chicago, USA. ‘After living in our house for two years, we realised it didn’t need lots more space, things just needed to be better organised,’ says Danielle. The timber-frame building is in Logan Green, a quiet neighbourhood to the northwest of the city centre. ‘The house was built in 1892,’ says Danielle. ‘Over the years there had been at least three additions at the back, but at the front the layout and original features in the hallway, living room and dining room remained largely unchanged.’ The cottage is on a plot measuring 7.6m wide by 38m long – a fairly standard size for the city. But the long and narrow dimensions together with the proximity of the
ABOVE The architrave around the front door is new. It was made to match the original Victorian woodwork in the downstairs rooms
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In the living room and throughout the house the walls are painted in Ice Mist OC-67 by Benjamin Moore
HOMES USA
IN BRIEF –
LOCATION Chicago, USA TYPE OF PROPERTY Remodelled detached cottage BEDROOMS 4 PROJECT STARTED August 2019 PROJECT FINISHED February 2020 SIZE 180sqm PROPERTY COST Around £386,500 BUILD COST Around £1,184 per sqm
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LEFT A pocket door between the living room and dining room is original to the cottage. The Alle table from Hem is teamed with eight Fiber chairs from Muuto RIGHT The solid northern red oak flooring was laid by the house’s previous owners
homes on either side made the rooms in the middle of the cottage gloomy and uninviting. In the spring of 2017 Danielle and David, who are both 34, moved in and started to get a feel for the place. The kitchen was sandwiched between a staircase at the back of the cottage, which suggested the building might have been a boarding house with two entrances at some point, and a breakfast room. On the first floor, one of the four bedrooms was windowless and led through to another, while the only bathroom was small. ‘My plan was to preserve as many of the original spaces as possible, only making significant changes to the newer additions,’ says Danielle. ‘Removing the rear staircase doubled the size of the kitchen and widening the openings to the ground-floor rooms would make them feel more connected.’ 50 JULY 2022 /
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Upstairs, the couple wanted to add another bathroom by taking space from one of the bedrooms, but the most significant change was building dormer windows on both sides of the pitched roof. Doing so would add ceiling height in the bedrooms and bathrooms while preserving the historical character of the front façade, but Danielle was unsure that planning permission would be granted. In Chicago, every renovation project goes through planning, known as zoning, and building code approval, with a successful application issued a permit one to two months later. The ground-floor changes were straightforward and the couple received a permit in June 2019. With the project effectively split into two phases, they were able to stay in the house while work got underway and Danielle pushed for the first-floor permit. ‘The building code for new timber-frame houses requires them be 1m apart from those on either side
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The white oak kitchen is by Ultracraft. Above the sink a new window gives views of the garden that can be seen from the front living room
F L O O R PL A N S
STORAGE
STUDY/BEDROOM
BEDROOM
BATHROOM
SHOWER ROOM
BEDROOM
BEDROOM
FIRST FLOOR
DECK
BREAKFAST ROOM
KITCHEN
DINING ROOM
LIBRARY
LIVING ROOM
GROUND FLOOR
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HOMES USA
‘My plan was to preserve as many of the original spaces as possible, only making significant changes to the newer additions’
ABOVE Walls lined with bookshelves and a comfy armchair turned an open area at the far end of the entrance hall into a cosy reading nook. The door beneath the staircase leads down to a basement laundry room 54 JULY 2022 /
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for access to daylight and air, and to prevent the spread of fire,’ she explains. ‘Our cottage was seen as being too wide for the plot, and to comply with the building code the dormers would have to be smaller than planned. So we would lose rather than gain space.’ Danielle initiated a special approvals process to enable them to build the dormers level with the exterior walls of the house. She pointed out that other homes nearby had already been renovated in a similar way, the proposal had approval from the couple’s neighbours and the neighbourhood city official, and would be built with fire-resistant plasterboard and aluminium cladding. ‘It was very rewarding when the approval finally came through six months later,’ Danielle says. ‘The conditions required six layers of fire-resistant plasterboard, which was an expensive and unusual way to build a dormer wall. But David and I were happy to comply so that we got the extra head height we wanted.’ Danielle carried on with her fulltime job while project managing both build phases to make sure everything ran smoothly. It wasn’t all without incident though, particularly when the temperature dropped below freezing just as
In the shower room the scent of the hanging eucalyptus is activated by steam. The Japanese sauna stool is from Jinen ABOVE LEFT The vanity unit doors are from the same range as the kitchen, but hung so the grain runs horizontally
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In the couple’s bedroom the built-in wardrobe doors were moved closer to the gable wall to make space for a double bed
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S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Danielle Beaulieu at Lieu (studio-lieu.com) Builder M Five Chicago (m5chicago.com) STRUCTURE Windows Jeld-Wen (jeld-wen.com/en-us) Skylights Velux (veluxusa.com) Internal doors Menards (menards.com), Skokie Millwork (skokie-millwork.com) Front door Salvage One (salvageone.com) FIXTURES AND FITTINGS Kitchen and bathroom cabinets Ultracraft (ultracraft.com) Worksurface Caesarstone (caesarstone.co.uk) Kitchen flooring Concrete Collaborative (concrete-collaborative.com) Guest bathroom vanity Ikea (ikea.com) Guest bathroom tiles Cle Tile (cletile.com), Daltile (daltile.com) Main bathroom Kohler (kohler.com) Hallway flooring Ann Sacks (annsacks.com) Lighting Ferm (fermliving.com), Muuto (muuto.com), Satulight (satulight.com), Secto (sectodesign.fi), Tech Lighting (techlighting.com) FURNITURE AND SOFT FURNISHINGS Living room sofa Design Within Reach (dwr.com) Dining table Hem (hem.com) Dining chairs Muuto Study desk Blu Dot (bludot.com) Shower room stool Jinen (jinenstore.com) Paint Benjamin Moore (benjaminmoore.com)
two-thirds of the roof had been removed. ‘We slept in jumpers and one night moved portable heaters around to make sure that the water pipes didn’t freeze and burst, which would have ruined the new kitchen,’ says Danielle. ‘On the other hand, we were incredibly fortunate that the build was finished just before the first lockdown came into effect in March 2020.’ The interior design scheme throughout the cottage is defined by a simple, neutral colour palette and a mix of toning natural materials. ‘We painted all the woodwork and walls in a shade of white to highlight the historical texture and character of the cottage,’ Danielle explains. Devising and managing the project from start to finish gave Danielle firsthand knowledge of the impact that design has on an older building and everyday life. ‘I’m really proud of what I’ve created, especially as it’s been done without adding to the footprint or altering the historical values of the house,’ she says.
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A beautiful experiment One couple stretched their knowledge of reuse and sustainability to create their eco-friendly home WORDS JAYNE DOWLE PHOTOGR APHY BILLY BOLTON
The low-slung sofa in the living room is Mag by Hay. The alcove cupboards were built by Alessia and Nadine and have fabric-covered doors LEFT A bench by the stairs is bespoke. The couple made the plywood and foam seat and upholstered it with denim fabric offcuts 58 JULY 2022 /
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IN BRIEF –
LOCATION Bowes Park, north London TYPE OF PROPERTY Renovated apartment BEDROOMS 2 PROJECT STARTED March 2019 PROJECT FINISHED Some work is ongoing SIZE 100sqm BUILD COST £120,000
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hen architects Alessia Mosci and Nadine Wagner bought their apartment it was dated, in need of attention, and had an underused loft space. ‘The flat is on the first and second floors of a big house that had been badly converted in the 1970s,’ explains Alessia. The couple were attracted by its proximity to three parks – Alexandra, Broomfield, and Arnos – as well as the neighbourhood itself. ‘The area has a laidback atmosphere with a strong sense of community revolving around the characterful Myddleton Road and the New River that flows through it,’ she adds. The apartment also provided the sort of project they had been looking for. Alessia, 47, creative director and co-owner of architectural practice Mwai, and Nadine, 48, an associate at Mae Architects, set out to challenge their notions of reuse and upcycling. They lived in the flat for four years, formulating ideas of how they wanted it work. ‘We agreed our approach would focus on sustainability and push the boundaries of our knowledge and experience,’ Alessia explains. Nadine admits that they did have a few differences along the way, as might be expected when two creatives attempt to realise a vision for their own home. But any disagreements were overcome with patience and long discussions. ‘We were essentially each other’s clients, so we collected images on Instagram and Pinterest to pitch our ideas to each other,’ Alessia says.
W
‘Our approach would focus on sustainability and push the boundaries of our knowledge and experience’
The renovation was managed by Alessia, with the couple taking on a lot of the work themselves. Soon the potential of the loft became clear – it was destined to become their bedroom and en-suite bathroom, while an existing bedroom would be used as a study. On the floor below, the poky kitchen was repurposed into a guest bedroom, which is across the hall from a small bathroom. A kitchen with dining area and the living room take up the rest of the level. This was a root and branch retrofit. Mineral wool insulation was installed in the suspended floors and rigid insulation boards fitted in the roof, which was stripped and partially rebuilt at the back to ensure that the insulation was as effective as possible. During this process, the original floorboards were lifted, stored, cleaned and relaid. ‘Any that were too damaged were replaced with similar reclaimed versions,’ says Alessia.
BELOW A flip-down bench seat saves space in the kitchen-diner. The sink and taps are by Franke LEFT The small blue RAR chair next to the chimneybreast was designed by the Eames for Vitra
F L O O R PL A N S
STUDY
BEDROOM
STAIRWELL
BATHROOM
STORAGE
SECOND FLOOR
KITCHEN
BEDROOM
LIVING ROOM
SHOWER ROOM
FIRST FLOOR
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ABOVE These cabinets were made by Virtue Joinery. They have plywood doors and drawers topped with a Carrara marble worksurface. The flip-down Alpes Inox gas hobs keep the surface clutter free
HOMES NORTH LONDON
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‘When an original feature such as the living room coving was lost during the build, rather than replacing it we celebrated its memory by continuing the ceiling paint on to the upper walls,’ explains Alessia. Reclaimed Edwardian pine internal doors were dipped, dried and treated with intumescent paint to meet the Building Regulations fire rating. All the other joinery is plywood, either reclaimed from construction sites or FSC-certified and locally sourced. ‘I’d made furniture out of plywood and Nadine was keen to use it,’ says Alessia. New kitchen cabinets were designed to include appliances recovered from a kitchen Alessia had stripped out of a project nearby. The side panels and door fronts are stained grey to complement the worksurface, which came from another of her jobs, where the clients bought a big block of Carrara marble and offered her the offcuts.
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‘Nadine and I designed the linear surface with what we had to work with and to highlight the stone,’ she says. For Nadine, the high point of the refurbishment was opening up the stairwell to let the light into the staircase, which seemed to add an extra dimension to the space between levels. ‘The low point was when the lath and plaster ceiling came crumbling down over it,’ she says. ‘We had to start again, adding time and cost to the project, but some things are unforeseeable. You have to be prepared for these events.’ The apartment feels airy and, through the careful use of natural light, connected to the outdoors. ‘What began as a playground to experiment with materials and finishes developed into a circular project where every completed task marked the beginning of a new one,’ says Alessia.
ABOVE The suspended steel bookshelf and white mesh parapet were designed by the couple, who had the piece fabricated by Lawsons, a structural steel company RIGHT Alessia and Nadine built their own bed. The wall light is a Projecteur 165 by Le Corbusier and the Riddle bedside lamp is from Bert Frank
For Nadine, the high point of the refurbishment was opening up the stairwell to let the light into the staircase
HOMES NORTH LONDON
S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architecture and design Mae (mae.co.uk), Mwai (mwai.co.uk) Structural engineer EngineersHRW (ehrw.co.uk) Carpentry, decoration, electrics, kitchen and utility room Virtue Joinery (07720 505046) STRUCTURE SIPs SIPs Building (sipsbuilding.co.uk) Roof Series A Roofing (seriesaroofing.com) Steel fabrication Lawsons (lawsons.co.uk) Glazing Velux (velux.co.uk) Insulation Kingspan (kingspan.com), Rockwool (rockwool.com)
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Flooring and reclamation Encore Reclamation (encorereclamation.co.uk), English Salvage (englishsalvage.co.uk) FIXTURES AND FITTINGS Carpentry training Blackhorse Workshop (blackhorseworkshop.co.uk) CNC cutting service Cut & Construct (cutandconstruct.com) Tiles CDT (ctdtiles.co.uk) Paint Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com) Taps Bellosta Rubinetterie (bellostarubinetterie.com), Fantini (fantini.it)
Sanitaryware Bette (my-bette.com), Ceramica Flaminia (ceramicaflaminia.it) Floor oil Osmo (osmouk.com) Polished plaster Organic Walls (organicwalls.co.uk) Hobs Alpes Inox (alpesinox.com/en) FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES Sofa Hay (hay.dk) Dining table De La Espada (uk.delaespada.com) Living room chair Vitra (vitra.com) Lights Bert Frank (bertfrank.co.uk), Flos (professional.flos.com), Heal’s (heals.com) Bookshelf Tee Books (teebooks.eu) Curtains and fabric Flints (shop.flints.co.uk)
Pared back in style and filled with natural light, the bathroom on the second floor features a deep tub from Bette. The ladder was picked up at the Alexandra Palace market
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• Subscribing is the only way to get your hands on a print copy • Plus, get two free Grand Designs Live tickets worth £20 each VISIT granddesignssubscriptions.com/OGDN2022 OR CALL 01858 438792 and quote OGDN2022 This offer expires on 31 December 2022. The price applies to UK Direct Debit subscribers only. Grand Designs Live is a biannual event taking place in London and Birmingham. A free ticket to each Grand Designs Live show will be included for print subscribers inside the May and October issues each year. Please note the issue including the free ticket is subject to change. For full terms and conditions, visit granddesignsmagazine.com/terms-conditions
This two-bedroom home overlooks Devil Track Lake in Minnesota, USA. Turn to page 79 for more
PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTIAN ALVEO
PROJECTS
Building Regulations update
10 wonderful waterside houses
Inclusive home design ideas
Guide to exterior cladding
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79
95
105
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An are award winning We a collective of architecture practice creative designers producing distinctive, functionalfor with a reputation architecture with excellence a quality, design commitment to sustainability. and customer service. We have the expertise and We design bespoke skills to take your project from spaces toto live, work and conception completion playatailored toof your with reputation quality, design excellence and service. dreams.
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Simple & stylish - The OASE waterfall wall OASE waterfall sets in 30cm, 60cm and 90cm sizes
The OASE water fall wall will be a welcomed addition to any garden. Offering minimalist beauty and a uniformed film of water - with or without a pond. The water fall wall can be placed anywhere in the garden as a serene and tranquil water feature. OASE has created water fall sets that offer all the needed components to install this feature yourself at home. We have built a cohesive set of products that are robust and with our knowledge of water gardening you can trust the quality of workmanship. OASE has created three different sizes of the wall: 30, 60 and 90cm. Any space can fit the delight of moving water. Additional lighting emphasises the feature at night by making the flow of water glow ; and a splash guard can be easily fitted to prevent water waste. Visit your local OASE distributor for more information today.
PROJECTS GRAND BUILD
Limiting heat loss and ensuring a high level of insulation is the aim of the new Building Regulations standards
Keep up with the changes to Building Regulations How will the raft of updates to the rules affect your project plans? Building Regulations ensure that the home you build or renovate is safe and comfortable to live in. Local Authority Building Control (LABC) teams or approved inspectors help you comply with the rules by giving feedback on your plans and making site inspections (labc.co.uk).
How the process works In England and Wales an LABC team or approved inspector can handle your project from start to finish and will submit the required notice
to your local council. In Scotland, Building Regulations are called Building Standards and are administered and enforced by local authorities only. Building Control fees vary depending on the complexity of the project, the number of inspections needed and the experience of the person doing the work. Generally, there is little difference price-wise between using an approved inspector and the LABC. Both ensure your work complies, as far as can be ascertained by inspections, with all
the relevant parts of the Building Regulations. Only LABC teams have powers of enforcement which may give you more peace of mind in the event of a dispute with your builder. An approved inspector must hand the project over to the council department if there are problems that cannot be resolved informally. The Competent Person Scheme allows some trades, such as window fitters, gas installers and electricians, to sign off Building Regulations for some of their work on your behalf. They will issue you
with the relevant certificates and notify the local authority.
So what’s new? The government recently introduced changes to the regulations for England that affect both new-build and renovation projects. The rules, which came into force on 15 June 2022, are touched on in this article. The Welsh government’s updates will apply on the 23 November 2022. Regulations in Scotland were revised on 1 March 2022 (gov.scot/policies/buildingstandards/). MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 73
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PROJECTS GRAND BUILD
All new and replacement windows must include trickle vents to prevent condensation
Heat loss updates In England the minimum standards for both new and replacement thermal elements, including the walls, floors and roof, have been raised through changes to the permitted U-values. In other words, you’ll need more or more efficient insulation. This applies when building something new, such as a new home or an extension, or when removing and replacing a thermal element – though there are exemptions for a ground-floor porch or conservatory with a floor area of less than 30sqm. See Part L of the Building Regulations. If working on more than 50 per cent of the surface area of a thermal element or more than 25 per cent of the entire external surface area of the
In England the minimum standards for new and replacement thermal elements, including the walls, floors and roof, have been raised building, then the whole of the thermal element should be improved to achieve at least the U-value given in Approved Document L Table 4.3, column (b). ‘Focus on reducing heat loss by taping and sealing around pipework or services,’ says Anna Thompson, head of engagement at LABC. ‘When installing windows and doors, draught-proof and fill any gaps that air can leak through and make sure they are well fitted.’ The guidance also requires improved U-values for work on a pitched roof that has
insulation between the rafters, and for a flat roof or a roof with integral insulation. The standards for renovating pitched roofs with ceilinglevel insulation, cavity walls, solid walls and floors have not changed.
New air flow rules The updated standards for ventilation and new or replacement windows are detailed in Approved Document F. These apply to new homes and those being extended or renovated. They include the need for all new or
replacement windows to have trickle ventilators to prevent the risk of condensation. With new and replacement windows, roof windows, rooflights and doors, if the entire unit is changed it must meet the minimum standards set out in Approved Document L Table 4.2. Insulated cavity closers, which prevent cold bridging, damp penetration, air infiltration and condensation, must be installed where appropriate, especially if the building’s opening is altered.
Efficient warming Heating systems such as gas boilers, standalone water heaters and heat pumps must be at least as efficient as the value set out in Approved Document L MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 75
PROJECTS GRAND BUILD
Section 6. A new appliance should use the same fuel as the old one with an efficiency that’s equivalent or better – or use a different fuel. The maximum flow temperature of a new or replacement heating system should not exceed 55°C. The standards for low-energy fixed lighting have also been updated.
A self-build that includes a car parking space will need to provide an electric vehicle charging point
Self-build specifics The issue of overheating is addressed in the new Approved Document to Part O, which requires an assessment of this risk in a new-build home. Your architect will be asked to supply this information to Building Control when your application is assessed. A self-build that includes a car parking space will need to provide an electric vehicle charging point.
If your project does not conform to Building Regulations, the work will not be legal. You could be prosecuted and face an unlimited fine. Crucially, the project may not be safe and could cause health problems, injury or even death, and it may also not meet energy-efficiency standards. Should the work prove to be faulty, your local authority could insist that you put it right at your own expense. If the project has not been notified to a Building Control body or carried out by a Competent Person Scheme-registered installer, the local authority will have no record that the work complies. Having official records will be important when you come to sell your home as you will be asked to provide evidence of compliance. 76 JULY 2022 /
If your project does not conform to Building Regulations, the work will not be legal and you could be prosecuted Your buyer’s mortgage company will want to see the Building Regulations completion certificate. You may be offered the opportunity to buy indemnity insurance if any paperwork is missing. This is designed to protect the new homeowner – and subsequent owners – against legal action if the local authority were to serve a Building Regulations enforcement notice. Sometimes the seller pays, sometimes the buyer, or the cost – which will vary depending on the scale of the work undertaken – is split between both parties. A conveyancing solicitor will be able to find the most suitable provider for you.
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However, it is vital that you are aware that having an indemnity policy does not make the work safe and won’t protect you and your family from death or injury in the event of a fire or a structural failure. A better alternative may be applying for a regularisation certificate. This retrospective application involves checking what has been built or altered against the regulations that were in place at the time it was carried out. Obtaining a regularisation certificate gives you peace of mind.
Further information The full Building Regulations for England, Scotland and
Wales – each country has different rules – are available on the central government website (legislation.gov.uk). These are lengthy and written in official and technical language, so you may prefer to use more accessible sources such as Front Door, the LABC homeowner resource (labcfrontdoor. co.uk) or the Planning Portal (planningportal.co.uk). These provide general advice on Building Regulations and a directory of Competent Person Scheme operators. The Construction Industry Council, known as the CIC (cic.org.uk), has a list of approved inspectors for England and Wales, searchable by location. Visit the LABC website to find a contact for your local officer or council department.
PHOTOGRAPHY MATT CHISNALL, FIONA WALKER ARNOTT, JEFFERSON SMITH
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10 Take advantage of a site near a river, lake or the coast WORDS JANE CRITTENDEN
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Wonderful waterside homes Buying a plot by the water comes with great potential for self-builders and their architects to maximise the benefits of scenic locations while respecting the environment and mitigating any flood risk. Big picture windows and glazed doors with minimal framing are a must for enjoying the views, while balconies make living spaces feel even closer to the water.
INNOVATIVE DESIGN Retired couple Mike and Sue
Wiltshire bought a plot overlooking the dunes on a stretch of beach in the town of Coromandel, New Zealand, with the aim of building a four-bedroom house big enough for family to visit. Crosson Architects designed the 260sqm home with deep eaves for shelter from the coastal weather. ‘The design is inspired by mine shafts in the former goldmining town nearby,’ says architect Ken Crosson. ‘The layout is a series of interconnecting spaces that can be lived in
separately or opened up.’ The main living rooms and bedroom face the water while, behind, a short, covered walkway leads to a bunkroom, guest room and bathroom. There’s also a separate self-contained studio to the side. Mike used to be a builder, and worked alongside the construction company to create the timber-frame house. It’s clad in totara wood, a native species, reclaimed from a swamp. The project cost around £2,077 per sqm. (crosson.co.nz)
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EXTERIOR UPGRADE Melissa
and Kevin Coleman have renovated a 50-year-old cabin that they use as a weekend retreat. Their 186sqm, two-bedroom home is in a forest by Devil Track Lake in Minnesota, USA. The couple briefed carpentry company Taiga Design+Build to renovate the exterior using materials able to cope with the harsh winter weather and warm summers.
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The practice added structural insulated panels (SIPs), recycled plastic roof shingles, and modified wood cladding from Kebony (kebony.com). A new glass box feature window gives the feeling of sitting within the trees. Around 90 per cent of the original structure was retained, which included renovating the previously unfinished basement that’s kitted out with a bunkroom, bathroom and laundry. (taigadesignbuild.com)
PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE
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WEATHER-PROOF CONSTRUCTION The rugged landscape of the Connemara region on Ireland’s west coast is subject to tempestuous and changeable weather, which inspired the design of this hillside house near Clifden. The owners, a retired couple, wanted their self-build home to exploit the views of the Atlantic and remain protected from the elements. ‘The house is single storey and tucked into the hillside,’ says architect Ryan Kennihan of Ryan W Kennihan Architects. ‘Deep overhanging eaves brace it against the wind, and the layout wraps around an enclosed courtyard that captures the sun and creates its own microclimate.’ The 240sqm, four-bedroom house cost £3,000 per sqm and is a hybrid construction of timber and blockwork. Twelve reinforced concrete buttresses support the heavy eaves beams and conceal downpipes that direct the rain run-off into drains. Along with the corrugated steel roof, the materials echo the architecture of local agricultural buildings, while big tripleglazed windows frame the changing light and colours of the water, sky and countryside. (rwka.com). MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 81
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FUTUREPROOF UPDATE Standing on a hillside between Garraf national park and the Catalonian coast, this 1960s-built house in Castelldefels near Barcelona, Spain, has wide-reaching views of the Mediterranean. The property had been extended in the past and the exterior damaged by the coastal climate. Its new owners, a couple with two young children, wanted to renovate and update the building. ‘The house was made more energy-efficient,’ explains architect Joan G Cortés of Nook Architects. ‘The exterior was insulated, and underfloor heating, an air-source heat pump and an Aerothermal HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) system added.’ The three-storey, 328sqm house now includes three bedrooms on the ground floor, and a fourth bedroom, kitchen/living area, swimming pool and terrace on the first floor. The raw concrete staircase leads up to a fifth bedroom that opens onto a roof terrace and a second pool. Lime render protects the walls from the strong sunlight and salty air. The project cost around £506,955. (nookarchitects.com)
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LOCH EXTENSION When Jim and Tanya Clarke decided to retire to Scotland, they bought a three-bedroom, 18th-century sandstone house in the village of Luss on the shores of Loch Lomond. The layout of their 1.5-storey home has the living spaces beneath the eaves and bedrooms on the ground floor. They wanted to see more of the water and mountains, so architect Ewan Cameron proposed a two-storey side extension with extensive glazing on the first floor. ‘Only small dormer windows looked onto the loch and, with no windows on the south-facing side of the house, the light and outlook was limited,’ says Ewan. ‘The timber and steel dual-aspect extension provides a panoramic view, and the flat roof was inserted into the home’s pitched roof to give the impression that the old and new parts interlock.’ The living room leads out to a roof terrace. This is above an en-suite guest bedroom with an exterior clad in locally sourced red sandstone to match the house. The project cost around £1,800 per sqm including the extension, remodelled areas and terraces. (ewancameronarchitects.com) MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 85
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6
ANCHORED IN ROCK Nestled in a valley on a steeply
sloping site overlooking Mawgan Porth beach in Cornwall, this 385sqm, six-bedroom self-build is home to a family of five. It’s spread over three floors so that every room looks out over the sea. Though the house is not at risk from coastal flooding, a topographical survey revealed that a stream once ran through the plot, leading architect Adam Casey of Watershedd to redesign his initial plans for the
foundations. Subsequently, dozens of concrete piles were drilled into the solid bedrock beneath the waterlogged topsoil. Concrete retaining walls form the back walls of the house with concrete beam and block on the lower ground floor and a timber frame above. To prevent damage from the salty air, the structural steel is galvanised and the exterior metal fittings are marine-grade steel. The exterior cladding is Cornish drystone and black-stained timber boards. The project cost around £4,400 per sqm. (watershedd.com)
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COASTAL RENOVATION
Connor and Kate O’Brien bought a 1970s prefabricated house next to Connor’s parents’ holiday home in Riverchapel, County Wexford, Ireland. The couple, who have two children, renovated the building, which overlooks a meadow leading to a secluded beach, with help from Robert Bourke Architects at a cost of £2,000 per sqm. ‘The timber cladding had become rotten around the base of the building,’ explains architect Robert Bourke. ‘The planks were repaired, the building wrapped in rigid foam insulation and clad with overlapping, pressure-treated pine boards to match the look of the original. They were painted a pale grey.’ Although there is no flood risk to the three-bedroom house, it had been built 1.5m above the marshy ground and has sea views. A 17sqm rear extension created an L-shaped layout with an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area leading to a south-facing patio where a timber balcony faces the Irish sea. (rba.ie) MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 87
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PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE
8
ELEVATED CONCEPT Architect Carlos Zwick built a home for his family on a 4,000sqm plot at Lake Jungfernsee, which is within easy commuting distance of his practice in Berlin, Germany. The lake, with its park café and ballroom by the water, had been a popular leisure destination for daytrippers after World War I, but over time the buildings had become dilapidated. Strict planning rules required Carlos to retain and refurbish them as part of the permission to build his house, and to preserve the decorative stone walls and terraces.
The single-storey, 712sqm property is raised 3m above the ground on steel posts set at an angle so that the lake can still be seen beneath the building from the street. They are bedded into ten carefully placed concrete pad foundations with limited touch points on the historic riverside terraces. Carlos and his wife Claudia Kensy have six children, so the house has seven bedrooms. It’s arranged in a L-shape and clad in untreated larch boards to help it blend in with the surrounding trees. A wall of glazing extends the length of the riverside-facing balcony. The build cost was around £2,969 per sqm. (carlos-zwick.de)
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THIS PLOT lies within Land Title number YEA455978, benefits from mainly flat terrain, is in the curtilage of a Listed Building, contains one Public Right of Way, and is 34m from the perimeter of a Flood Zone.
With layer after layer of insights, the Grand Designs Magazine Land Finder makes it easy to find and research any plot.
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PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE
9
TERRACED HOME
PHOTOGRAPHY SIMON DEVITT, KRISTIAN ALVEO, SHANTANU STARICK, DEL RIO BANI, STE MURRAY, JOSE CAMPOS, PAUL DYER, DAVID BUTLER
Seadrift is a gated community of 1950s beach houses that straddle the Pacific Ocean and Bolinas Lagoon on a narrow spit of land across Bolinas Bay, just outside San Francisco in California, USA. Wanting a weekend home where they could relax with their two teenage children, one couple bought a plot of land on the spit. Architecture practice Cass Calder Smith designed the family’s single-storey, 195sqm timber-frame house, with an archway leading from the street to a three-sided courtyard with views of the lagoon on one side and the mountains on the other. For protection from rising sea levels, the three-bedroom house was built 9m above the water. It is on the highest of a series of newly built terraces and steps lead down to a deck by the lagoon. (casscaldersmith.com)
10
FLOODPLAIN SOLUTION Sue and Ian Wakehurst, who have two teenage children, were drawn to the tranquillity of a plot backing onto the River Thames in Weybridge, Surrey. The site had planning permission for a five-bedroom detached house, to which the couple made some alterations. ‘Although permission had expired, planning regulations meant we still couldn’t make changes to the front,’ says project architect Mufajel Chowdhury of Concept Eight Architects. ‘But we successfully sought consent to
include a double-height hallway, open-plan living areas, first-floor terraces and glazing at the back of the house to give the family great views of the river and woods.’ As the 420sqm, block-and-render structure is on a floodplain, it’s built with pile foundations and a ground-floor slab raised 1.2m above ground level. A stepped terrace would allow floodwater to pass beneath the house, and through openings at the front of the groundfloor garage. A listed river cabin at the bottom of the garden was refurbished and doubles as an office and party space. The overall build cost was £1.3 million. (concept8.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 91
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PROJECTS ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
Inclusive living spaces How to create homes that are easy to use and a pleasure for everyone WORDS JESSICA MAIRS
The phrase accessible design tends to conjure up an impression of clinical-looking fittings and adapted architectural features that perform an important function but are not that well integrated into a scheme. But when the principles of universal design, where a home is accessible to those of all ages and abilities, are embedded in the build or renovation process, elements that make life safer and easier become seamless.
‘Supporting people to do things as they become frail or have certain conditions should not be at the expense of beauty or of feeling at home,’ says Patrick Devlin, a partner at architecture practice Pollard Thomas Edwards (pollardthomasedwards.co.uk). ‘If a designer says that someone who uses a walking frame must have a house with edge protection on corners and huge outside doors that prevent it feeling like home, that’s the wrong design.’
Claywood House is a five-bedroom home near Hook, Hampshire, designed for wheelchair user Jo Wright and her family by Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt. (acgarchitects.co.uk)
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Experience counts Seeking advice from an architect who specialises in universal design or consulting an occupational therapist is a good option. ‘If you are starting from scratch or planning major work, pick an architect who will listen to you,’ says Jo Wright.
‘Supporting people to do things as they become frail or have certain conditions should not be at the expense of beauty or of feeling at home’ Jo uses a wheelchair and was determined not to experience inaccessibility in her new-build family home. She lent one of her wheelchairs to the architects at Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt (acgarchitects.co.uk) so they could experience the challenges and safety issues when manoeuvring on carpet, across level changes and through heavy doors. ‘I wanted them to understand how different the world looks and feels when you’re sitting the whole time,’ she says. Rion Philbin, creative director of multidisciplinary studio No So (nosostudio.com), worked in healthcare design before moving into designing homes. ‘For those renovating or building their own homes and considering accessibility, the trick is to find an architect or designer who is well versed in your specific needs,’ he says.
Rules and regulations
ABOVE The spacious bathroom in Jo Wright’s Hampshire home has enough room for wheelchair turning circles, a level-access shower, bath lift and chrome grab bars that match the Hewi sanitaryware. (hewi.com) ABOVE RIGHT Wide corridors and carefully positioned furniture enable Jo to move about with ease. There’s a lift behind the bespoke staircase 96 JULY 2022 /
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The usual planning permission requirements apply, so if you are building a home, or carrying out major renovation or extension work, an application is needed. Visit the Planning Portal (planningportal.co.uk) for information, and always contact your local authority for guidance before starting a project. Building Regulations ensure that self-build and renovated homes are safe and comfortable. Local Authority Building Control (LABC) teams or approved inspectors help you achieve compliance by giving feedback on your plans and making site inspections. Part M of the Building Regulations in England outlines the requirements for creating a visitable, accessible or wheelchair-usable home. It includes details on the space required to turn a wheelchair, the gradient of ramps and the height of switches, but is only a starting point. ‘Building to regulation doesn’t necessarily provide a home that is responsive to someone’s needs,’ says Patrick Devlin.
PROJECTS ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
LEFT Architect Sarah Wigglesworth futureproofed the two-bedroom sustainable home she designed for her and her partner in Islington, central London. The threshold to the shower has been levelled for easier access BELOW Handrails have been added to the staircase, and a site for a lift identified if needed in time. The renovation also involved the creation of a new suite of rooms including a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom for a carer
Costing inclusivity There is no doubt that aspects of universal design come with a high price tag, whether it’s because of the need for a generous floor plan or specialist fittings. ‘Becoming disabled is an expensive business,’ says Jo Wright. ‘Your life is enabled by equipment, and it is shockingly pricey.’ Minor alterations, such as adding handrails or better insulating against heat loss, come at the more affordable end of the scale. ‘There’s quite a lot you can do without spending a fortune,’ says architect Sarah Wigglesworth (swarch.co.uk). ‘With eco-friendly improvements the payback is certainly not immediate, but there is a quick return in terms of comfort.’ The success of a project relies both on identifying your current needs and having a bit of forethought about the future so you can invest in the right areas. ‘It’s really important to spend properly,’ explains Rion Philbin. ‘Invest in the longevity of the materials.’ MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 97
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PROJECTS ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
Financial help There is government-funded assistance for those who are eligible. The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) helps with the cost of making home adaptations, from installing ramps, lifts and a downstairs bathroom, to widening doors and adjusting heating and lighting controls. The grants are means-tested, with a maximum award of £30,000 in England, £25,000 in Northern Ireland and £36,000 in Wales. Funding in Scotland is at the discretion of local councils.
‘Becoming disabled is an expensive business,’ says Jo Wright. ‘Your life is enabled by equipment, and it is shockingly pricey’ You can find out more about applying for a DFG on the government’s website (gov.uk/apply-disabled-facilities-grant). Those not eligible can apply directly to their local authority for assistance of up to £1,000.
ABOVE Casa Mac is a two-bedroom home in Thiene, Italy. It was designed by No So for the blind grandmother of one of the practice’s founders. Anti-slip way-finding tiles are integrated seamlessly in the herringbone flooring. (nosostudio.com) RIGHT All thresholds and level changes have been eliminated to give precedence to the textured way-finding system. Horizontal tiles mean ‘stop’, vertical ones mean ‘go’ MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 99
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PROJECTS ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) helps with the cost of making home adaptations, from installing ramps, lifts and a downstairs bathroom, to widening doors and adjusting heating and lighting controls Beyond clinical Guidelines around designing for older age or for disability tend to focus on safety, but creating an inspiring scheme that avoids an overly clinical look is also important for wellbeing. There are sleek and practical solutions for the bathroom from companies such as Duravit (duravit.co.uk), Hewi (hewi.com) and Hansgrohe (hansgrohe.co.uk), but beautiful specialised equipment is harder to come by. ‘There’s a massive design gap in decently designed mobility aids,’ says Sarah Wigglesworth. ‘Nobody wants to feel like they’re living in a hospital and I don’t know why the market is not responding.’
ABOVE AND RIGHT New Ground co-housing scheme in High Barnet, north London, is 25 self-contained apartments designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards for a group of overfifties women. The scheme has a shared common room, laundry and garden intended to foster a sense of community and combat loneliness. (pollardthomasedwards.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 101
PROJECTS ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
Ready for anything
ALL IN THE RIGHT PLACE
If planning a new scheme, try to anticipate your future needs. When replacing a fixture or appliance, consider how your life might change over the duration of that product’s lifetime and about introducing new technology sooner. Sarah Wigglesworth chose to switch her gas hob for an induction model to prevent against accidentally leaving the gas on and to add a new eye-level oven to avoid the need to bend down. ‘The earlier we think about getting old, the better, because we can be rational about it rather than reaching a point of crisis and doing everything in a reactive way,’ she says. ‘The older we get, the more difficult it is to understand emerging technology and if you can’t operate it, it’s absolutely worthless.’ Ensure that there’s plenty of good natural and artificial light to make day-to-day kitchen tasks or reading safer and easier for those with deteriorating eyesight, and for conditions such as dementia.
Create a safe, practical bathroom, says Amos Goldreich of Amos Goldreich Architecture (agarchitecture.net)
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● Fit a step-free walk-in shower that’s wide enough to allow wheelchair entry. ● If you lack space for a
walk-in, consider turning the bathroom into a wet room with glass panels. They protect the walls and structure of the house from leaks and mould, and insulate the space for better energy use. ● Install slip-resistant
flooring. Most tile companies offer stylish options.
● A wall-mounted basin and
loo can be fitted at a height that is the most comfortable and easy to use. ● Avoid placing shelves and
storage too high or too low to avoid unnecessary stretching and bending. ● Local councils offer a home-assessment service and can recommend suitable alterations. An occupational therapist could also help futureproof your home.
PHOTOGRAPHY ANDY MATTHEWS, JIM STEPHENSON, IVAN JONES, STEFANO CALGARO, LUKE O’DONOVAN, OLLIE HAMMICK
For a co-ordinated look, choose designs from an extensive collection of universal fittings and accessories. System 900 shower seat, support rails and accessories in matt black, shower stool with handles, Hewi (hewi.com)
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THE PERFECT FINISH You have plenty of cladding options with the Cladco Profiles ranges High-quality, long-lasting exterior cladding is essential when building or renovating your home. Cladco Profiles provides a range of material options, from low-maintenance composite to hardwearing fibre cement and steel sheeting, each one bringing with it a unique set of properties. Cladco’s fibre cement boards feature an embossed woodgrain detail. When installed horizontally with a featheredge technique, they are dimensionally stable so there is minimal expansion in hot temperatures. They are available in eight colours and an unpainted option. The environmentally friendly composite cladding range is manufactured from a combination of recycled FSC-certified hardwood fibres and 40 per cent recycled plastics. The boards are resistant to rot, fading and splintering. Easy to install and maintain, Cladco 104 JULY 2022 /
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composite is available with either a smooth or woodgrain-effect finish for a contemporary or traditional look. Alternatively, Cladco’s range of steel cladding comes in a variety of profiles, colours and coatings. These include two box profile options as well as corrugated steel sheeting. The cladding is manufactured from high-quality galvanised steel coated with either a PVC plastisol or polyester paint finish. Steel sheeting has a contemporary look with a hardwearing protective layer. If you want to see the products up close, free samples are available to order from the website, where you can also find more information about each one. Use Cladco’s online cladding calculator during the planning stages of your project or contact the sales team on 01837 659901 for further assistance.
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● For more information, visit cladcodecking.co.uk or for steel sheeting, visit cladco.co.uk
PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE
FOCUS ON
Exterior cladding From slate tiles to zinc panels, which is the best option for your home?
This four-bedroom converted agricultural building near Norwich, Norfolk, was designed by 31/44 architects (3144architects.com). It is clad in pastel-coloured corrugated steel from Joris Ide (joriside.com) and vertical timber louvres. Scotlarch cladding, from £42 per sqm, Russwood (russwood.co.uk)
WORDS ANDREA MANLEY
There’s an array of different cladding types and materials to choose from, including timber shingles, metal sheeting, stone tiles and composite boards. When teamed with insulation, cladding helps to keep a home cosy. Prices vary between materials, and installation will add to the final cost. Although some options can be fitted by a competent DIY-er, most will require installation by a professional.
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PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE
WHAT’S ALLOWED? There are instances when work on the outside of your home comes under permitted development rights (PDR), such as if you are replacing worn-out cladding like for like. The exception is if you live in a conservation area, a national park, or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), when you’ll need to apply for planning permission. Those building a new home must include details of the cladding when making a planning application. In some cases, the type of material that can be used will be dictated by the planners to suit the area or neighbouring properties. Check with your local authority before starting any work. For more information, visit the Planning Portal (planningportal.co.uk).
A TOP PRIORITY The fire performance of any cladding system must be compliant with Building Regulations. It’s important to investigate a product’s fire rating, seek information from the manufacturer and ask about warranties. It must also be installed correctly. See the expert advice panel on P107 for more information.
RIGHT The first floor of three-bedroom Split House in Fairlight, East Sussex, is clad in slates fitted to metal rails using a stainless steel clip fixing system. Cupaclad 201 Vanguard rain screen cladding, £POA, Cupa Pizarras (cupapizarras.com)
Alison Brooks Architects’ (alisonbrooksarchitects.com) award-winning two-storey extension near Lydney, Gloucestershire, is clad in fibre cement board to help distinguish the new addition from the original Georgian farmhouse, which is a gallery and workspace. Anthracite fibre cement cladding, £POA, Eternit (eternit.co.uk)
MANMADE COMPOSITES Fibre cement board resembles painted timber. Made from cellulose, fillers, fibres and cement, it comes as panels or planks that can be painted or have a coloured pigment added during manufacturing. This makes scuffs and scratches less visible. Planks can be attached to vertical battens, ensuring that the horizontal joins overlap to encourage water run-off. The panels have a fitting system with
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concealed screws for a sleek finish. Fibre cement board costs around £150 per sqm with installation and can last up to 60 years. Composite products such as Teckwood’s (teckwood.co.uk) are made from recycled plastics and timber. Millboard’s cladding (millboard.co.uk) is made from polyurethane resin reinforced with mineral stone. Both are low maintenance, costing around £110 per sqm.
TOP OF THE CLASS
This five-bedroom converted barn in St Albans, Hertfordshire, is clad in modified timber with a riven surface finished with a protective oil coating. Abodo Vulcan flat-sawn timber, from £80 per sqm, Glenalmond Timber (glenalmondtimber.com)
Expert fire safety advice from Gary Peacey, director at EWI Consultants (ewiconsultants.co.uk) ● The Euroclass system
for fire classification is being adopted over the older British Standards. ● It ranges from A1, which
means non-combustible and makes no contribution to fire, down to F, which means combustible and easily flammable. ● For a home less than
18m in height in England and Wales that’s less than 1m from a boundary, the external surface should be Class B or better. If more than 1m from a boundary, there is no provision required. In Scotland the requirement is for A1 or A2 no matter how far the distance is to the boundary. ● Products and systems
that have a degree of combustibility are still seen as safe to use on typical low-rise homes. Fire-retardant treated exterior timber cladding can still meet the Euroclass B rating. ● Some manufacturers
THE NATURAL CHOICE Timber cladding is either softwood, hardwood or modified wood. It’s available as shingles, which look more like timber tiles, or planks in varying sizes that can be fixed horizontally or vertically. Durable softwood species such as western red cedar, European larch and Douglas fir resist moisture and decay. When left untreated they will weather to a silvery grey, or they can be given a surface treatment, which needs to be repeated periodically, to preserve their original colour. Hardwoods such as oak and sweet chestnut are even more durable than softwoods. The boards are generally air- or kiln-dried for structural stability, and come with a rustic waney edge where the bark is retained or more clean-lined machine-cut finishes. Modified woods such as Abodo (abodowood. co.uk) or Accoya (accoya.com) , are softwoods that
have been processed to enhance their stability and durability. They’re virtually maintenance free, with a lifespan of 50-60 years. Shou sugi ban timber is charred to waterproof and preserve the wood, making it resistant to fire, rot, insects and the effects of sunlight. There are several shades available, ranging from pale grey/ brown to black. Expect to pay from around £40 per sqm for softwoods, £90 per sqm for hardwoods, and £80 per sqm for modified timber, while shou sugi ban costs around £100 per sqm. Look for a product that’s sustainably sourced, such as those with FSC certification, has the CladMark quality assurance guarantee from the Timber Decking and Cladding Association (tdca.org.uk), and a guarantee of at least 25 years.
provide system solutions and have testing on all component parts. Some of them may include components that are Euroclass E or F, but when tested as a system they achieve a higher performance. ● Don’t be afraid
to ask for proof of fire classifications and request confirmation data. For further information, visit the Insulated Render and Cladding Association (inca-ltd.org.uk).
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PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE
ROCK FORMATIONS Stone cladding finishes are varied, ranging from split-face tiles that create a multifaceted texture to completely smooth surfaces. Limestone, slate, sandstone and granite come in thin tiles or slips that are virtually indistinguishable from full thickness stone and lightweight enough to be fixed with adhesive. Modular flat panel systems are cost effective and quick to install. Though durable, stone will weather over time. Sealing isn’t a necessity, but it does offer extra protection from weathering. Select local suppliers to limit the eco impact of transportation. Limestone costs from £170 per sqm, slate from £120 per sqm and sandstone from £73 per sqm.
RIGHT This glazed rear extension in Dartmouth Park, north-west London, was designed by Architecture for London (architecture forlondon.com). It features Portland stone cladding with distinctive fossilised shell fragments. Bowers Roach Portland stone cladding, around £240 per sqm, Albion Stone (albionstone.com)
Aluminium, copper, steel, Corten steel and zinc sheets or panels are low maintenance, long lasting and recyclable. Steel can be powdercoated in any RAL colour or galvanised and should perform well for around 35 years. Untreated Corten steel develops a distinctive rusty patina. Lightweight aluminium cladding will last around 40 years, while copper develops a verdigris patina, and has a lifespan of around 100 years. Zinc is pricey, but will perform well for up to 60 years, so it’s economical over its lifespan. It has a silvery finish when first installed, which weathers to look like lead when left untreated. It can also be treated to speed up this weathering process. Expect to pay from £50 per sqm for steel, £70 per sqm for aluminium, and £150 per sqm for zinc. At £250 per sqm, copper is the most expensive. LEFT Architect Patrick Bradley specified steel and larch for the exterior of this home in Broughshane, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Colorcoat Urban standing seam cladding in anthracite, around £60-100 per sqm, Tata Steel (tatasteel.co.uk)
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PHOTOGRAPHY NICK DEARDEN, JACK HOBHOUSE, PAUL RIDDLE, AIDAN MONAGHAN
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KITCHENS &
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Team two different tile shapes for pattern interest in a toning colour scheme. Hope White Hexagon Gloss ceramic wall tile, £55 per sqm, Hope White Gloss ceramic wall tile, £53 per sqm, Verona (veronagroup.co.uk). Turn to page 113 for more
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KITCHEN UPGRADE
Always flawless Perfect Sense is a new design from Netherlands-based Keller Kitchens, which has a carbonneutral manufacturing process. Available in black or white, the doors, drawers and vertical panels are made from Fenix, which is formed, under pressure and heat, from layers of paper and resins. Fingerprint marks won’t show up on the matt surface, and everyday scratches can be repaired. Kitchens from £20,000 including worksurfaces and appliances. (kellerkitchens.com)
Local hero
Choose your colours
Another Country makes furniture and accessories from sustainably certified wood in its workshops in the UK and Portugal. Furniture designer David Irwin was inspired by Thomas Hardy’s poem Old Furniture when creating the Hardy Bar Stool, which is solid oak. Made to order and available in heights of 650mm and 740mm, it measures W493xH469mm and costs £895. (anothercountry.com)
Made in the Cotswolds, the Scallop pendant by David Hunt Lighting features a Dia480mm handpainted aluminium shade. The light comes with a twisted braided cable, co-ordinating chain and ceiling cup, and has a maximum drop of 900mm. Choose from ten standard shades in any combination, or a range of special edition colours, including this Jewel Beetle and Hellebore. Priced £390. (davidhuntlighting.co.uk)
Wash and go The aerated water spray produced by Abode’s Tubist T single lever tap reduces splashing. This is ideal when using its flexible 600mm pullout hose, and the pushbutton spray head is always cool to handle. It’s available in brushed nickel, matt black or chrome. This matt black model costs £529. (abodedesigns.co.uk)
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KITCHEN UPGR ADE
Pretty practical Like glamorous apothecary jars, these chic screw-tops from Rockett St George are designed to be displayed. The smaller three measure Dia110xH150mm, while the biscuit and flour versions are Dia160xH210mm. All are handwash only. Amber glass storage jars with black metal lids, £60 for a set of five. (rockettstgeorge.co.uk)
Mobile service This freestanding unit from Graham and Green is made from recycled pine with a whitewashed finish and has a limestone worksurface. It has eight drawers and crates, four on each side, and a metal rail at one end, for versatile storage and worksurface space. Because it’s on castors with safety brakes, the whole thing can be wheeled around and set in place as required. Measuring L1,830xW800x H885mm, the Hudson Kitchen Island costs £2,495. (grahamandgreen.co.uk)
Add shape and texture Hope Hex is a hexagonal ceramic tile with a handmade look and a high-gloss glaze from Verona. Suitable for use on walls, including in wet areas, the design comes in shades of rose, white, ash, blue or green. The tiles measure 150x173mm, and cost £55 per sqm. (veronagroup.co.uk)
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Appliance brand Smeg has relaunched a special edition of its Piano Hob, first designed in 1995 by award-winning architect Renzo Piano. Made from Evershine polished stainless steel that won’t tarnish, the hob has a joint-free pan stand and comes in two sizes. Choose from the 72cm-wide model with five burners, including a central 3.5kW rapid burner, or a 60cm version with four burners. This W718x D510mm hob costs £599. (smeguk.com)
WORDS PAULA WOODS
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PROJECTS KITCHENS
Sink and tap ideas Make washing up a pleasure with designs that combine practicality and style WORDS PAUL A WOODS
A good investment A tap with a robust brass or steel body and ceramic disc technology will stand the test of time. Check it is compatible with your home’s water pressure before buying. Armstrong bridge mixer in Satin Brass with pulldown rinse and lever handles, £1,036.20, Perrin & Rowe (perrinandrowe.co.uk)
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PROJECTS KITCHENS
The natural choice A Carrara marble sink must be sealed and periodically resealed to reduce its porosity. Even so, it will mark and develop character over time. Tuscan Farmhouse Carrara marble sink, from £2,470 for a W600xD535xH220mm single, aged brass Mayan taps, £360, Devol (devolkitchens.co.uk) 118 JULY 2022 /
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More than practical A semi-recessed sink protrudes slightly forward of the cabinet it’s mounted on and its front wall is on show. As so much of the design is visible it can be used to create an eye-catching feature. Semi–recessed sink with divider and rail in burnished brass, W1,200xD470xH120mm, £4,362, lever tap with arched spout, from £4,044, Officine Gullo (officinegullo.com)
Less is better
Chemistry lesson
Reduce your water and energy use by choosing a tap with a built-in flow limiter or aerator. One that starts with cold water will also lower energy use. Eurosmart single-lever mixer in chrome with Cradle to Cradle certification and EcoJoy technology for up to 50 per cent reduced water consumption, £173.78, Grohe (grohe.co.uk)
A sink made with a composite material such as Keratek, which is formed from ceramic nanoparticles and acrylic resins, will withstand high temperatures, resist stains and scratches, and have antibacterial properties. Multa 130 flush, inset or undermount sink by Reginox (reginox.co.uk), W756xD456xH200mm, £316.34 from Victorian Plumbing (victorianplumbing.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 119
On demand
Instant upgrade
A great choice for multigenerational households, a tap with motion-sensor technology is prompted to dispense water by hand movements, so there’s no risk of leaving it running. Tämnaren kitchen mixer with sensor in stainless steel, £249, Ikea (ikea.com)
Transform any mixer into a filtered water tap with a diverter. Simply turn the dial to select the unfiltered supply or water that’s been through a filter cartridge. Swich water filter system with square or round handle in four finishes, from £213 in chrome with classic filter, Abode (abodedesigns.co.uk)
Space-saving design
Companion piece
An inset sink is easy to install, it simply sits in a hole cut out of the worksurface with its overlapping rim resting on top. This compact design fits into a 500mm cabinet. Tenby single bowl fireclay ceramic sink with drainer, W850xD500xH215mm, £337, Rangemaster (rangemastersinks.co.uk)
Include a built-in soap dispenser with your sink and tap set-up to reduce worksurface clutter and give a streamlined look. Atlas Neo soap dispenser in five finishes, from £151 in stainless steel, Atlas Neo infrared sensor tap, from £540 in stainless steel, Franke (franke.co.uk)
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PROJECTS KITCHENS
Decorative craft A handmade fireclay sink is chip, heat and stain resistant and will last a lifetime. It must be fitted into a cabinet that’s strong enough to bear the weight. Gallery metallic gold fireclay butler sink, W795xD460xH255mm, £788.76, Shaws (shawsofdarwen.com) MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 121
Handy helper Some sinks do more than just provide a place to wash up. Franke (franke.co.uk) and 1810 (the1810company.co.uk) offer models with fitted accessories such as chopping boards. This design has an internal ledge for a pair of rails on which to rest pots, chopping boards and colanders. Etagon 8 Silgranit undermount sink in anthracite, W780xD498xH200mm, £741.60, Blanco (blanco.co.uk)
Lasting good looks
All in one
Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) is a thin metal coating that’s durable and vibrant, and particularly effective with metallic designs. Mode 45 inset or undermount brushed stainless steel PVD sink in gold, W450xD450xH200, £436, Joya 3-in-1 hot water tap, £1,337, Caple (caple.co.uk)
For a seamless finish, choose a composite worksurface where the sink can be moulded from the same material. It’s sleek and easy to clean, as there are no seams for dirt to get trapped in. Integrity Due quartz composite sink in Calacatta Gold, W520xD370xH155mm, from £800, surfaces from £400 per sqm, Silestone by Cosentino (cosentino.com/en-gb)
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PROJECTS KITCHENS
WASHING WELL How to choose the perfect sink, by Chris Spink, founder of Hush Kitchens (hushkitchens.com) ● A deep design measuring
around 700-800mm wide has room for washing or filling bigger pots and saucepans. ● In a smaller room consider
an undermounted 340-600mm design or a circular sink, which takes up less worksurface space, as does a corner model. ● Copper, brass and
stainless steel sinks have natural antimicrobial properties, as do many made from composite materials. Non-porous sintered stone and solid surface materials leave nowhere for dirt and bacteria to linger.
Rustic centrepiece If you’re looking for something unique, search salvage yards and reclamation dealers for vintage and one-off pieces. Reclaimed Yorkshire stone sink, eBay (ebay.co.uk). Bespoke kitchen cabinets, from £15,000, zinc aged worksurface, £950 per sqm, and splashback, £425 per sqm, Hush Kitchens (hushkitchens.com)
● For a traditional scheme,
PHOTOGRAPHY PETER HELME
try a butler or Belfast sink. Choose the best quality fireclay ceramic to avoid the risk of chips or cracking with heavy use. Or consider metal and composite models, such as Abode’s stainless steel Belfast sink (abode designs.co.uk) and Blanco’s composite granite Vintera (blanco.com/gb-en).
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A TIMELESS CHOICE This Wren Shaker-style kitchen takes pride of place in a newly converted barn
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ADVERTISING PROMOTION
Claire Smith-Corns lives in Evesham, rural Worcestershire, with her husband Richard and their two sons, Seth, five, and Nate, three. The family’s four-bedroom home is a converted steel-frame barn that was originally part of a dairy farm. Claire was familiar with it as she would occasionally ride through on her horse. When the barn came on the market, the couple bought it and drew up the plans for the conversion themselves. Richard tackled all the building work himself.
ABOVE Wren’s traditional-style Shaker Forest cabinets in Alchemy and Shadow. From £249.99 per unit ABOVE RIGHT Everyday items all have their own little nook LEFT Claire and her new Wren kitchen
Their home is a converted steel-frame barn that was originally part of a dairy farm Claire, who is a company secretary, and Richard, an LED screen technician, wanted to include an open-plan kitchen. Originally, they imagined something modern and sleek, but things changed as the conversion progressed. ‘We chose Wren to design the kitchen as we’d worked with the company twice in the past,’ says Claire. ‘Richard and I had in mind one of the contemporary styles we’d seen before.
But on visiting the Gloucester showroom and seeing the more traditional Shaker style, we thought, “That’s the one!”’ Working with Craig, their Wren designer, the couple finalised the layout, and ironed out some of the practical details. ‘Craig was great,’ says Claire. ‘He helped us maximise the amount of storage space and suggested including a diagonal corner tower unit and large drawers. So it’s really easy to keep everything neat and organised.’ Richard was also able to fit the kitchen himself. ‘We were very satisfied with the service Wren provided,’ says Claire. ‘All the furniture and fittings turned up exactly when they were supposed to.’ Claire loves to cook and prepare food while the children sit around the island, and she finds that the space adapts really well to hosting a large crowd. ‘We often have friends and family over during the summer,’ she says. ‘There’s nothing nicer than opening the double doors that lead out onto the patio and firing up the BBQ.’ ● Book your free design appointment today at wrenkitchens.com MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 125
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B AT H R O O M E D I T Ancient and modern Norwegian design studio Ask og Eng (askogeng.no) has collaborated with stone supplier Lundhs (lundhsrealstone.com/uk), to create a vanity unit. The bamboo cabinet is sealed with a hard wax oil and topped with an anorthosite stone counter and basin from Lundhs’ Antique range. Made to order, the AE7 vanity unit comes in three sizes and costs from £4,400 for the W1,200xD450mm version.
A natural feel Dornbracht’s new overhead rain showers include two spray types, one invigorating and the other soft like raindrops. Choose from a 300x240mm rectangular or 301mm round shower head. They can be surface- or flush-mounted to the ceiling, and come in eleven finishes. Both models include integrated chromotherapy lights. From £1,044 for a chrome finish. (dornbracht.com)
See more clearly
Sleek geometry Evo is JTP’s latest tap collection. Featuring slanted spouts and fine vertical line detailing on the handles, the bath and basin taps come in four finishes, matt black, brushed black, chrome or brushed brass, and can be teamed with a matching towel radiator. Three-hole deck-mounted mixer in brushed black, £373, and basin mixer in brushed black, £263. (jtpuk.co.uk)
Move your hand to change the colour temperature of the light coming from this mirror’s LED illuminated border. A motion sensor in its surface enables touch-free control, plus the IP44-rated design is fitted with a heated demister pad to reduce condensation. Available in two diameters, 600mm or 800mm, Bellus from Hib costs from £369 for the smaller version. (hib.co.uk)
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B AT H R O OM E D I T Mark the spot Ideal for a scheme with limited floorspace such as a cloakroom or en-suite bathroom, the neat Xcross washstand from Alape supports a circular glazed steel basin on a matt black, powder-coated steel frame. Measuring Dia397xH900mm, it is available with or without a tap mount for an overall depth of 482mm or 427mm. From £2,244 without tap mount. (alape.com)
A soothing soak The Zencha freestanding bath from Duravit is inspired by the Japanese bathing tradition of immersing in deep water. It has rounded corners with an outwardcurving rim, and can be square or rectangular. There are three sizes available, two of which can be fitted with an optional air-jet massage system. The square tub measures L1,250xW1,250xD630mm and costs £3,600. (duravit.co.uk)
In fine form Italian architect Simone Micheli has designed a collection of ceramic basins, loos and bidets for retailer Easy Bathrooms. Choose from a wall-hung 700mm basin or 1,000mm basin with countertop, plus wall-mounted or back-to-wall rimless loo and bidets, all available in matt black, navy, grey or gloss white. Micheli wall-hung basin in matt navy, W1,000xD500xH130mm, £675, wall-hung loo, W380xD550xH290mm. £799, wall-hung bidet, W380xD550xH290mm, £568. (easybathrooms.com) 128 JULY 2022 /
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Based on antique tiles found in southern Spain, the Carmona range from Bert & May comes in two colour options. Replicating tones from the original, this Marron is in shades of brown while Verde features orange and green. The wall and floor tiles are encaustic, so the pattern is formed from the clays rather than the glaze. They measure 200x200mm and cost £189 per sqm. (bertandmay.com)
WORDS PAULA WOODS
Heritage find
Create the perfect shower Planning tips and practical advice for designing the best scheme for your needs WORDS PAUL A WOODS
Hidden from view A valve built into the wall gives a sleek finish and saves a little space in the shower area. Consider teaming up an overhead fitting with a handheld shower for versatility. Vos concealed shower combination in matt black with 250mm overhead rose, hand shower and two-outlet thermostatic valve, £1,037, single-lever basin mixer, £339, JTP (jtpuk.co.uk)
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PROJECTS BATHROOMS
Luxury option If you want a powerful spray, ask your plumber to check that your home’s water pressure and heating system can cope with the flow rate before you buy. Revive Twist 380x380mm recessed showerhead in polished stainless steel with rainfall and twist sprays, minimum 2-bar water pressure, £1,565, Crosswater (crosswater.co.uk)
Everyday reassurance
In control
Being able to use the shower safely is a priority for everyone. Features to consider include touch or remote control, a cool-touch valve, grab rail, shower seat, and level non-slip floor. Plan 90-degree grab bar and sliding rail system with load capacity of 115kg, £498, round shower, £145, thermostatic shower mixer, £613.20, and wall-mounted, foldaway seat with load capacity of 150kg, £777, Keuco (keuco.com)
A design that has an aerator and/or a flow limiter built in will help to reduce your water consumption without you even noticing. Vernis Shape air-power showerpipe 230 1jet in chrome with thermostat and air-enriched flow of 6 litres per minute, £503, Hansgrohe (hansgrohe.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 131
PROJECTS BATHROOMS
Wash away Adequate drainage must be factored in when planning a wet room to prevent pools of water collecting on the floor. Plus, the entire area will need to be waterproofed by an experienced professional. GlassLine shower screen system with brushed steel frame and ClassicLine column drain, from £1,500, Unidrain (unidrain.com) 132 JULY 2022 /
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Open aspect For a sleek, contemporary scheme, opt for a generously sized walk-in shower with minimal screening. Arysto Colour 10mm shower screen with brushed brass profiles, L1,400xH2,000mm, from £1,100, Level 25 slip-resistant 1,400x900mm tray, from £345, Merlyn (merlynshowering.com). Knurled Accents thermostatic shower valve in brushed gold, £920, basin mixer, £515, round 300mm showerhead, £415, handset, £290, Vado (vado.com)
Home spa
So convenient
For a shower with some therapeutic benefit, consider body jets or an overhead fitting with massage-effect spray or chromatherapy lighting built in. BubbleSpa thermostatic shower with wall-mounted 300mm showerhead and three-spray hand shower, 1.5-bar minimum pressure, £1,199, Kelda (keldashowers.com)
A wall-mounted fitting is easier to install or retrofit than a concealed valve. It’s a good option for multigenerational households as the showerhead height can be adjusted to suit tall adults and small children. Hoxton exposed shower set with outlet elbow and thermostatic valve in brushed brass, £548, Britton (brittonbathrooms.com) MAGAZINE.COM / JULY 2022 133
Comfort factor Ideally, create an enclosure measuring at least 800x800mm to avoid feeling hemmed in while showering. Space-saving sliding or folding doors require no clearance in front of the unit to open. Oslo premium 8mm sliding shower door with matt black aluminium profiles, L1,400xH1,950mm, £359.99, Bathroom Mountain (bathroommountain.co.uk) 134 JULY 2022 /
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PROJECTS BATHROOMS
Select a spray Alter the intensity of your shower by choosing a model that comes with more than one spray strength or flow pattern option. Opero Dual shower in matt black with overhead drencher and 4-spray handset, HydroGlo technology and cool-touch thermostatic controls, £533.60, Mira (mirashowers.co.uk)
Make it separate
What lies beneath?
Why not partition off part of a big bathroom to create a wet room? Doing so avoids any risk of water reaching the dry area. Bathroom with bespoke arched metal framed and fluted shower doors, £POA, Gunter & Co (gunterandco.com). Intelligent matt emulsion in Ho Ho Green, £56.50 for 2.5 litres, Little Greene (littlegreene.com)
A shower tray that fits flush to the floor or one that’s raised just a little requires the drainage installed into the floor. Tempano acrylic shower tray for flush, floor-mounted or semi-recessed installation, £531 for a 1,000x800mm tray, C.1 thermostatic exposed shower, £1,539.50, Me by Starck basin, £447, Brioso vanity unit, £942, Duravit (duravit.co.uk)
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PROJECTS BATHROOMS
KEEP IT FLOWING Water systems explained by Paul McGuire, associate channel manager at Mira (mirashowers.co.uk)
Intelligence built-in
● Water pressure is
measured in bars – the higher the number, the greater the pressure and water flow. All showers carry a minimum required pressure rating. This is usually between 0.1 and 3 bar, with anything below 1 bar considered low pressure. A plumber can check what you have if you’re unsure.
Digital fittings allow you and others in your household to preselect and set a preferred water temperature or flow rate. They are operated by smart devices such as a mobile or tablet, and can be switched to manual control too. Smart shower pack with three outlets, from £2,340, Roca (uk.roca.com)
● Gravity-fed or vented
low-pressure systems have a cold water tank and a hot water cylinder. How much pressure is produced is determined by how high the tank is above the showerhead. A minimum of 1m is recommended – but the greater the height, the greater the pressure, which may make loft installations problematic. Poor performance can often be boosted with a pump. Or choose a low-pressure design. ● High-pressure, combi
boiler or unvented systems take water directly from the mains supply and should be teamed with a digital or thermostatic mixer shower. As the supply to the system is mains fed it should produce a forceful shower wherever it is. You will need to ensure pressure is at least 1 bar. Your plumber can advise on possible adjustments via the mains or boiler. Be aware that pumps cannot be used with a combi boiler, so if there is an issue, you may need to upgrade to a model with a greater capacity. ● Cold water, mains-fed
electric showers work regardless of boiler type or system as they operate like a kettle to heat the water in the unit itself. Water flow is still dependent on the mains water pressure, although most should be sufficient. If this is not the case, pumped electric models are available.
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PROJECTS CASE STUDY
The shower takes up one arm of the L-shaped room. Oslo thermostatic shower valve, deluge head and handset in unlacquered brushed brass, £1,400, Inkiostro Bianco EQ Dekor fiberglass wallpaper in Elisir, from £220 per m, Curated Collection polished porcelain marbleeffect tiles, from £120 per sqm, West One Bathrooms (westone bathrooms.com)
P R O J EC T PROFILE –
LOCATION Brentwood, Essex STYLE OF PROPERTY Purpose-built flat DURATION OF BUILD 1 month SIZE 5.2sqm COST £15,000, excluding installation
The right move Creating a walk-in shower was the key to unlocking the potential of an awkwardly shaped room WORDS PAUL A WOODS PHOTOGR APHY PAUL CR AIG
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PROJECTS CASE STUDY
The bathroom in Russell Pomfret’s two-bedroom flat has undergone a complete redesign to make better use of the L-shaped layout and bring character to the windowless space. Russell, who is an estate agent, hired Louise Ashdown, head of design and showroom manager at West One Bathrooms (westonebathrooms.com), to devise the new scheme. Louise’s plan was to keep the basin in the same position, but replace it with a contemporary design. The area around it would be warmed by underfloor heating. She also suggested taking out the bath and moving the loo to make space for a generous walk-in shower at the narrower end of the room. ‘As the bathroom floor is concrete, a slightly raised floor was built in the shower to make room for the drainage to fit beneath,’ she explains. A new stud wall with recessed shelf conceals the
Louise’s plan was to keep the basin in the same position, but replace it with a contemporary design pipework for the fittings and the entire area was waterproofed. ‘A long linear drain at the back of space prevents water flowing into the rest of the room,’ Louise says. A second stud wall conceals the wall-hung loo’s cistern and includes built-in storage niches. Russell, who is in his late thirties, asked Louise to create a glamorous scheme, so she picked out a dramatic waterproof floral wallcovering. It’s teamed with painted wall panelling and marble-effect tiles. ‘I chose a design with gold veining to tone with Russell’s choice of brushed brass fittings,’ she says. The bold look and clever layout have successfully compensated for the room’s lack of natural light and tricky shape. ‘It’s a thoroughly pleasurable and lovely space to start and end the day in,’ says Russell.
ABOVE A panelled wall of MDF strips adds a sense of grandeur. Eggshell paint in Sinner, £34.50 per litre, Mylands (mylands. com). Ex-t Stand oval washbasin with frame in brushed gold, £1,900, Oslo wall-mounted basin mixer, waste and trap in unlacquered brushed brass, £700, Duravit Me by Starck wall-mounted loo, £795, West One Bathrooms LEFT Ceiling pendants in front of the mirror reflect light around the windowless room. Jordan small globe pendant lights in satin gold, £70 each, Docklands round mirror in brushed gold, £295, West One Bathrooms
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PROFILE
MY GRAND IDEA –
Alphonse Sarthout was part of the design team behind a bioclimatic house in the French countryside
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that respect the environment, focus on energy efficiency and exploit the local weather for heating and cooling. We borrowed ideas from Japanese architecture and the experimental American case study houses, designed between 1945 and 1966, to build the single-storey, rectangular, timber-framed house. — How does its bioclimatic design work? The glazed south façade warms the house in winter when the sun is low, with the overhanging roof moderating the sun’s warmth in summer. Windows and doors to the east and west capture the prevailing breeze for natural ventilation. And the house is extremely well
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insulated, including 40cm of blown cellulose wadding in the roof. — Any other eco features? There are no cement or concrete foundations or floors. The interior screed is made of calcium sulphate, a derivative of plaster, which requires less energy to manufacture than cement and is fully recyclable because it can be heated, ground up and reused. It has a beautifully soft and nuanced finish. An air-source heat pump provides hot water. — Why is the house on stilts? It’s on thin steel legs, which are drilled 5m into the rock below to anchor it in place, made possible because the house is built with lightweight materials. In this way, the structure has minimal impact on the surrounding ecosystems and appears to hover above the ground. It also saved money by avoiding the need for expensive groundworks and foundations. Best of all, if circumstances change in years to come, the family could dismantle the house or even move it somewhere else, leaving behind absolutely no trace that it was ever there. Ciguë, cigue.net
ABOVE White paint and pale calcium sulphate floors, plus windows and joinery in larch, give the interior a simple, paredback style LEFT Locally harvested Douglas fir was used to make the frame, external cladding and deck. The 88sqm house cost around £1,870 per sqm
WORDS ALICE WESTGATE PHOTOGRAPHY MARIS MEZULIS
How did the project come about? I’m a partner at Ciguë, an architecture practice in Paris. We were commissioned by a couple who have a ten-year-old daughter to design a two-bedroom house on a remote plot facing south over a beautiful valley near Saint-Julienle-Petit, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. I was born just 20km away, so I’m familiar with the local countryside and weather. — Tell us about the house The couple wanted something ecofriendly and relatively inexpensive, with lots of glazing to take advantage of the views. Its design is based on bioclimatic principles
With nature in my mind.
Get back to nature with your own Baufritz country home built with traditional and hero materials. Get information at #CountryHouse on www.baufritz.co.uk