Bungalow renovation and remodelling in Ilfracombe

Taking a variety of approaches to solve the same problem

The Hill is a detached c20th chalet bungalow in Ilfracombe. The original house has been well looked after but like many chalet bungalows had been altered and extended over the years and this had led to a unbalanced home lacking in light, but one with many strong memories.

Our brief was to be bold! We were tasked with finding a solution using a contemporary design that provided them with additional spaces in which to pursue their recreational interests in art and music. They were also keen to create a highly thermally efficient building , utilising solar panels and other renewable energy sources. We set to thinking how we could we use the bones of what we had but give them a better quality of space internally as well as provide a thermally efficient and modern home.

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Sitting with the family over many occasions we were able to discuss and tease out of them what was really important to them; which parts of the existing home and gardens held special meaning, and the spaces they wished to create. We also wanted to know where they sat in the garden for example, and on which side of the property the weather was worse, so that we could build a picture of their needs as well as their wants. 

From this we developed diagrams on how those spaces could be used and importantly how they relate to one another, the light and the sun. From this base we then worked at how these spaces could be articulated on the site and how those articulations could take very different approaches.

The three videos in this blog post show how, just from one brief, very different styles of building can be developed. The sculptural approach was driven from the client's own interests and their drive to really move away from a chalet bungalow and a clear desire to not simply add dormers to the original building.

By modelling in this way we were able to use our virtual reality kit in the office to walk the client through the different spaces and let them feel the flow and type of space that each option offered.

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