When looking for development opportunities you need to be looking at how to increase the capacity of the site. Generating additional floor area increases to value of the site as does good design. This can be straightforward on an empty site but harder if there is already a property occupying most of the site.

This project was for a small developer who purchased a bungalow using the old adage to ‘buy the worst house on the best street' - location location location. The area had good precedents for successful developments and the site was low risk in terms of building constraints or obtaining planning permission for a demolition and rebuild. However to maximise value on the site we needed to increase the overall floor area and create a contemporary quality home whilst keeping construction costs economic. Good design was vital to create a house that embodied aspirational home ideals that would be attractive to buyers.

The house was designed as a series of spaces that were filled with natural light to increase the perception of space and well being. The large sliding glazed doors allow the light filled open-plan living spaces on the ground floor to flow out into the south facing garden. Deep roof overhangs shade and protect the rooms from overheating. The materials were specified to be robust and attractive with a brick ground floor and an upper storey externally clad in Siberian larch. A zinc-clad single pitch roof to the front, creates gently sloping ceilings in all of the four bedrooms creating a wonderful sense of volume.