Estimated Budget: under £400,000
Duration on site: approximately 12 months
Workstage: completed to Stage 6
Crescent Architects Ltd showcased the stunning home – a unique, stylish and contemporary four bed property, designed with the architecture firm’s energy efficient values in mind – on the More 4 TV show, Building the Dream.
Located on a beautiful site, adjacent to the canal in Boroughbridge, north of York, the build utilises its grand positioning perfectly. It makes perfect use of the sun’s rays on the southern elevation to add brightness, while relying on the mature trees in the grounds to provide vital shading during the summer months. A combination of innovation, intelligence and creativity, the project took just over a year to complete once planning permission was granted.
Principal architect Suzanne Fowler revealed, “Our home is something so personal to us, and self-build properties are the ultimate opportunity to build the ideal environment for whoever lives there. It was our pleasure to take on this project, helping our client to realise their vision. We worked in close collaboration with our client to implement energy efficiency techniques, sadly sacrificing some shading and high-level ventilation to keep the budget in check. This project faced a lot of hurdles from the site and due to the nature of the finished product but, it has been utterly rewarding.”
The airy, sophisticated property was designed in line with Code 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes initially set out in the Planning Conditions. To achieve this, features such as highly efficient glazed windows and super insulated timber framed walls were used to compliment the flexible, open plan, and intuitive layout.
After completing this complex project, Crescent Architects Ltd looks forward to further making its mark on Britain’s landscape, helping self-builders to develop luxuriously stylish properties that sit sympathetically within their surrounding environment.
Estimated Budget: under £250,000
Duration on site: approximately 8 months,
Workstage: completed to Stage 4
Situated in a very desirable and much sought-after village, the current owners simply loved the location and did not wish to leave but did need to downsize their accommodation. Their much-admired garden was becoming too much for them to maintain and although they had searched, they had been unable to find a property locally which suited their requirements.
An earlier planning application by a local builder had been refused, and so it was important to learn from that experience and develop proposals which would be acceptable to the planning authorities.
The principles of the design brief were reduced energy consumption, easy maintenance, and accessible accommodation which would serve the clients’ needs into the future. A feature staircase, natural lighting wherever possible and views which maximised enjoyment of the garden whilst maintaining privacy completed the brief.
The proposals at feasibility stage started with a modest bungalow-styled property and grew slightly during the process to accommodate additional living space and a guest bedroom at first-floor level. After consultation with the Local Authority, and considering the clients’ needs and preferences, full plans were submitted for a 3-bedroom new build house.
“We were extremely pleased with their professional and helpful attitude to our project. Highly Recommended”
“Suzanne was just the Architect we needed, she produced a number of options to match our brief and guided us clearly through our selection process without trying to push her own agenda. Her proposals were exciting, innovative and sympathetic to the character of the original house.”
“Suzanne introduced a very professional and impressive architectral practice. The only barrier to using Suzanne’s services on this occasion was that her quoted fees were a bit more than we had budgeted for on our small project.”