Old browser alert! We have detected you are using a pretty old browser. This website uses cool features that can't be supported by your browser.
If we let you see the website it would look all weird and broken, nobody wants that!
Update your browser!
It’s no surprise that our clients loved the location of their existing beachfront bungalow in the North Devon’s popular village, Woolacombe. However, it was struggling to meet their needs as a growing family, with a disjointed layout and small rooms that fail to make the most of either the size of the plot or the magnificent coastal views beyond.
Upon instruction, we developed a brief that reviewed the existing spaces and sought to improve them in a way that addressed our client’s requirements. Our designs needed to reflect a sensible budget, and certainly one that takes into account the ceiling prices of property in the area.
We looked to create a form that was sensitive to and responded well within the existing context of the area. Our design took into account the natural hierarchy and massing of the area and also that the site was heavily overlooked.
To maximise the internal spaces, we looked to utilise large areas of glazing which help bring natural light deep into the plan and optimise the external views. Each of the double bedrooms are of similar proportion with French doors to maximise views of the garden to the rear but also provide direct access to usable amenity. Openings have been restricted on the eastern facade to avoid any potential overlooking. The principle bedroom is located to the front and maximises the views out through a series of large openable glazed windows.
A traditional pitched roof construction allows for this space to be vaulted and a real feature of the design. There is opportunity to place solar panels on the south facing roof to maximise solar energy.
Employing high quality materials in fairly raw state ensures the building remains honest whilst still providing the update it requires. Beautiful in their own right, these materials provide a subtle backdrop to the views out, allowing them to remain the focus.
As part of the proposal for the new replacement dwelling, the garden is also to be re-imagined. Creating a new series of terraced spaces interspersed with native planting allows for the main approach to deal with the level changes effectively, making better and safer use of the amenity/access space. It is proposed to have native, bio-diverse planting beds which serve as retaining walls for the level changes, the planting will provide a net gain in bio-diversity.
