Photos copyright Grain Architecture/courtesy of the Client
Retrofit & Extension to 17th C. House
Architect: Grain Architecture
Andy worked on this Grain Architecture project to retrofit, extend and alter this 1650s semi-detached timber frame house in Surrey from inception to completion.
The existing house had masonry/stone ground floor walls, and tile hanging to the first & second floors. The existing house was retrofitted with felxible hemp insulation between and outside (betweeen new timbers) the existing timber studs to the upper floors, and the ground floor walls were insulated with highly reathable insulating lime render. The roof was insulation was topped up with a layer of hemp insulation. The upper walls were clad with horizontal timber cladding to match the aesthertic of the tile hanging while using a much lower carbon material.
A single storey side extension with a twin hipped roof with valley gutter creates a large kitchen/dining extension with a vaulted ceiling. The high vaulted ceilings create relief in comparision with the low ceiling height of the existing main reception room. The Twin hipped roof allows for a deep extension while maintaining a similar form to the existing roofs without blocking light to the existing first floor bathroom. Rooflights in the extension, in the second floor bedroom, and over the staircase meant the whole house is filled with natural light despite the deep floorplan. Blackout blinds on the rooflights help prevent overheating in summer. All the existing windows were replaced with high performance timber frmae triple galzing from 21 Degrees to match the windows and doors in the extension. The internal walls and ceiling were finished with clay plaster.
A PV Solar array was installed on the garage roof, and an Air Source Heat Pump was installed to prviede low-carbon heating & hot water.