This project was for a couple who love sunshine, entertaining and cocktails. Wanting to maximise their enjoyment of their Victorian terrace home, they called me in for a Home Design Workshop to explore the potential for a sunny roof terrace. This couple were keen home improvers and had already extended their ground floor to create a beautiful open plan kitchen diner that opened out to their spectacularly lush back garden that rose up a steep slope behind their home. They had also reconfigured their bedrooms to make it easy for them to entertain guests with two beautiful double bedrooms with ensuites. Their own bedroom had been further maximised by opening up to the loft space to create a dramatic double storey space with a small storage mezzanine. Their garden, although stunning and well designed for entertaining, lost light towards the end of the day and was in shade by the evening. What they were missing was some space to enjoy cocktails in the sunshine towards the end of the day. They had discovered that their mezzanine space enjoyed the last of the evening rays and they wanted to see if they might be able to have a private sunny roof terrace where they could enjoy time together as a couple, enjoying a full evenings worth of sunshine. This project explored if it was going to be possible to create a roof terrace given the size and configuration of the space. It also created sketches that could be used to discuss the proposal with planners to check on its potential to gain planning approval. Although the balcony was feasible, the option to use a balcony rooflight, such as the Cabrio by Velux, seemed like a more affordable and flexible option for this couple. A rooflight balcony would maintain the same mezzanine space internally but allow them to open it up during the summer to create the balcony as and when they wanted it. Let's face it the UK isn't blessed with all year round sunshine so sunbathing and cocktails in the evening sunshine is unlikely to be a daily occurrence, unless we see some dramatic effects from Climate Change. This sketch design gave this couple all the information they needed to help them make decisions for their next home improvements and saved them from making an expensive mistake with their home. Design Your Home Vision Checklist
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![]() Early in 2015 I visited our client at home in Bramhall, Cheshire. We sat around the kitchen table to discuss our clients wishes for their home and what they needed for their project. Now a completed extension, this blog is a review of what we achieved with this project in a small space on a tight budget. "I needed some professional drawings for a small extension to my kitchen and advice on building regs, etc. I had a rough plan with my initial ideas and someone to build it but needed some more accurate plans that my builder could build from. The house is 300 years old so nothing is straight!" ![]() The planned extension was small needing to fit in a lot of functionality. The brief included:
As this was a small project, not requiring planning permission, of traditional build and our client had a competent builder in place, it was possible for the project to progress with only our sketch design. The client and builder made all decisions on detailed design, although we were available should our support be required during construction. Building regulations were dealt with on notice by the builder. ![]() Although the space was limited we managed to create:
"I really enjoyed our discussions and solutions and everyone was really excited by the plans. The extension took 5 months but it is now finished and we have the final sign off certificate." If you want to make a massive difference to your life with some home improvements let us know and book your own Home Design Workshop with iarchitect. "It is gorgeous, really gorgeous and has made a massive difference to our lives. Thank you so much for the design - you did a fab job."
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Design Your Home VisionThe Design Your Home Vision Checklist will help you kickstart your home improvements.
Download yours with the button below to get your home project off to a great start: Get started with the free Design Your Home Vision checklist. AuthorJane Leach, principal architect at i-architect Categories
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