Kitchen Extension to Grade II* Farm, Cotswolds
New kitchen extension and boot room to a Grade II* listed Cotswold Farmhouse. We love working with existing buildings and respectfully adding new additions to them that become new chapters of the life of the building and its habitants. It's been a real collaboration with this home's owners who have inspired us even more to do crafted architecture.
Kitchen Extension to Farmer's Cottage
Elevational Studies of the New Kitchen Extension to the Farmer's Cottage. We use this material exploration exercise to investigate the architectural language of the new proposal in relationship with the existing property. Here, we are conscious that the height of the new roof of the kitchen should be subservient to the roof of the main house and should not be excessively much higher than the boundary wall that faces the main road and street of the village.
Garden Pod Studio
Spring scene
Winter scene
We have always been passionate about designing with nature and not against it and are keen believers that connecting and bringing nature into our built environment, has priceless positive effects on our mental well being. This was very evident during the lockdowns and outside garden spaces became very precious, especially for working. This garden pod is situated at the bottom of a garden with a view out onto the river. Here the occupant can take regular breaks and watch the natural world go by; busy bees collecting nectar, birds flying and singing to each other and all the leaves of the trees and plants moving to the sound of the wind, creating shadow patterns inside and out.
As you enter the pod, you are greeted by a woodstove and an area to store logs and dry off wet clothes and boots. Further into the pod, there is a small kitchenette area with a double bed above. A set of stairs link to the shelves that hold books and internal plants. A desk at the end of the pod allows for a first seat view of all the activities outside.
Wooden Extension to Traditional Victorian Brick Terrace House with
There are so many of these traditional brick terraces around Stroud, Cheltenham and nationwide that we live in and love working with. Sometimes though, you just need that little bit more space, especially for a growing family. It is also much more environmentally friendly to re-use existing buildings and do adaptations and extensions to, rather than design and build a new build, plus these existing buildings have so much more charm and history.
When designing these extensions, it is important to see them as extensions not only to the house but to the garden and therefore, we always design with the garden and the views out to it in mind.
If you are thinking of embarking on an extension journey, we would be very pleased to help you with all the pre and post planning stages of your project.
Kitchen Extension in the Cotswolds
We often see 60's houses with formal layouts that really don't fit with modern day family living. With separate dining rooms that hardly get used, small and narrow kitchens, and often only a door in a utility room, gives access to the garden. Yet, these houses have bags of space that can be reconfigured with the smallest of extensions and made into your perfect home. In this proposal, the internal, separating, thin partition walls between the kitchen and dining room, are taken down to create a larger open plan kitchen/diner. The existing house is re-cladded in timber with a new wooden pergola that plants can grow onto and give some summer shading protection. Larger openings such as sliding doors and roof lights are added to bring in more light into the heart of the house, the kitchen. This also creates a good visual connection with the re-landscaped garden which buzzes with activity.
Conversion of Barn into Wedding Venue
We have previously worked with estates and land owners to explore alternative uses of their redundant farm buildings. We work closely and maintain a good working relationship with external consultants, the Local Planning Authority and Historic England. We have previously developed designs which have included : wedding venues, co-working hubs, hotels and residential conversions. Below is a concept design of a derelict barn, converted into a wedding venue with a separate ceremony space and new dining pavilion.
We always respect the history and original features that makes these buildings so unique and great to work with. We strive to use natural materials and traditional building methods in our proposals, where possible, as this helps with the breathability and durability of these traditional buildings as well as natural materials tend to have less embodied carbon.
Atmospheric section of activities
1. The Bride arrives and enters the ceremony space from a private entrance, through a new threshold opening made of Corten steel surround. She gets a glimpse of her new husband to be, standing at the alter down the other side of the room. She is then escorted down a new wooden staircase where she embarks on her walk down the aisle.
2. In the Main Ceremony space that can double up as dancing in the evening, the couple make their vows
4. The guests are taken into the new dining pavilion where they can enjoy the wedding breakfast. This space can also be used for the evening.
5. At night time, the outside firepit is an ideal space for drinking.
3. After the ceremony, there are external landscape elements that the guests can have a drink under and take pictures.
Cotswold Extension to Courtyard Farmhouse
Concept design of two, new extensions to either side of the main house. The design aims to enhance the existing farmhouse courtyard. Here, we looked at the wider context of the land in order to situate the extensions and proposed landscape enhancements. A more formal lawn is situated at the front of the main house with a new pool with a pergola above to the east. The paddock is separated by a ha ha wall that has vegetable boxes and trailing fruit trees on one side and the field on the other.