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Architects: LA Hally Architect
- Year: 2014
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Photographs:Joel Knight
Text description provided by the architects. House in Hiltingbury, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire: House renovation and two storey extension.
This property, nestled deep in greenery, is in an area of Hiltingbury consisting mainly of large, Arts and Crafts style, detached properties, this building however was out of scale and completely out of character with its surroundings. Hiltingbury is a Special Policy area which is additionally covered by a blanket Tree Preservation Order.
The house was a modest but sprawling 1940’s bungalow, in a poor state of repair, it had a charm the clients loved, but was too small for their large family. The rooms were dark and the cruciform plan made circulation difficult and the spaces did not flow. Additionally windows faced in odd directions often overlooking neighbours.
Planning permission already existed for an unsympathetic loft conversion, duplicating the existing plan above, but would have required underpinning the entire property, the budget would not allow for this and similarly demolition and rebuild was not an option.
Clearly a more radical solution was required in order to gain the space needed to provide the additional bedrooms, en-suite, study and storage space requested in the brief.
Our solution was to design a 2-storey bedroom wing, incorporating all the required additional accommodation. The new master bedroom includes a glass balcony, overlooking the private courtyard to the front of the property, and a dressing room. A vaulted double height study space overlooks the hall, which provides a cathedral-esque quality due to its 4m tall opaque glazed window, flooding in light whilst preserving privacy. The new extension was built in rough, painted brick with a mix of horizontal and vertical board on board cedar cladding to the upper level.
The original house was modernized, with powder coated aluminium fenestration throughout, an oversized bespoke front door and matching gutters and soffits. Fiddly brickwork details were removed giving a more modern simple look. The wing of the house next to the extension was opened up with large fixed glazed panels to gently introduce the modern addition, making the space feel like part of the natural surroundings.
The existing roof was retained and abutted to a section of timber cladding which wraps up and over the roof, providing a division between old and new. The character of the existing house still remains, but the twee-ness has gone and the house is now a contemporary addition to the street. Does it fit into the area? No, but we think that there should be more modern intervention in street scenes such as this.’
