Beach House

Overview

A mid-century bungalow turned into a five-bedroom seaside retreat with a separate annex. Add a side and rear extension and a double dormer to the roof with complete renovation and fit out. Careful space planning and sustainable specification is blended with a modern, simple aesthetic.

The Brief

Use elements of the existing structure (where appropriate) as part of a reuse and recycle strategy, add new footprint to the ground and loft floors and upgrade the building fabric as part of a ‘fabric first’ approach. Use a sustainable specification throughout and create a very light filled, efficient and flexible series of spaces. Create five bedrooms and associated bathroom spaces suitable for flexible seaside living. Use a specification that is easy to maintain and relaxing, adding value to the property and creating a template for bungalow renovation and expansion.

Our Solution

We assessed the amount of the existing superstructure we could retain and took the roof off the building to add a new, feature, zinc roof. We developed a design that added five rooms in the roof using a permitted development planning strategy which has allowed the house to feature five bedrooms including a home working ‘pod’ and a separate self-contained annex.

We have designed in ensuite rooms and maxmised the sea view where we could with high levels of glazing to create a very uplifting, light, and open feeling series of spaces. We have hidden storage throughout the floor plans and used simple elements to create special features throughout. The result are flexible spaces with great living areas working the garden design to maximise indoor / outdoor living.

The exterior treatment combines timber cladding from the Alps with VM zinc and Velfac windows and doors. We developed specialist details for the windows to create a neat, airtight building fabric. This is combined with additional levels of insulation throughout the construction and glazing coatings to create a comfortable internal environment.

Design features like oversized sliding screens to partition or open up spaces, and lighting (all by Astro UK), was blended with an Ikea hack kitchen and Little Green Paint throughout. The result is a calm and easy to maintain space with a light and ‘freeing’ feel.