How Niki and Gabor saved 28 hours and £300 per month with their home improvements. Case Study #5

​Meet Niki.

Niki is extraordinary.

Niki is multipassionate.

Niki is also very accomplished.

Athletically, creatively and academically.

An enthusiastic practitioner and teacher of aerial acrobatics, partner acrobalancing, pole and bellydancing Facebook, Aerial Instagram, Partner Acrobalance Instagram, Niki also runs a business creating beautiful tie-dye silk and cotton clothing Tie Dye Etsy Shop. While with her PHD in neuroscience, Niki works at Lancaster University as a network manager on projects exploring health aging. 

Niki and her husband, Gabor, practise aerial acrobatics together. Before we worked together they were travelling regularly to Manchester, 55 miles away, to attend classes and use practise spaces not available close by. Driving there would take them 1.5 hours or longer each way. This was costing them a significant amount of time and money each month. 

It was very inconvenient.

​Niki and Gabor longed to have more time to practise and for it to be quicker and easier to do.

They decided that they wanted to create a double height space at home so they could have the freedom to practise whenever they liked, without the time and cost of travel.

Before buying their first home Niki and Gabor started researching to figure out how they could create a home that could house their passion for aerial acrobatics.

Coming across my videos on Youtube they realised that I was the architect for them. 

They were looking for someone who would listen to their less conventional ideas of home and deliver a solution specifically for them. They didn’t want to work with someone who would judge them, or try to persuade them out of creating a non standard home.

They were looking at small warehouses for sale and booked a call with me to discuss if it would be suitable for them to convert into their home. I was really excited about this idea for a project. But after our conversation they decided this wasn’t the approach they wanted to take, so they spent a couple of years exploring alternative options.

Eventually they bought a 4-bed semi-detached home with a large garden.

With lots of space and potential they were excited about their new home, but they couldn’t figure out how to make it work for them and their cat family, within their small budget.

​They both work from home most of the time and they love spending as much time together during their working day as they can. To make it possible for them to enjoy each other's company throughout the day alongside a broad schedule of activities, each requiring different types of spaces, was a complex puzzle.

While Gabor’s working day is largely spent at a computer, Niki’s day includes diverse activities; from project management and writing, to exercising for skill, strength and flexibility, to managing her business creating tie-dye pieces and storing them prior to sale.

Stuck trying to create a solution that gave them that double height space to practise aerial acrobatics alongside all their other needs, they got back in touch with me to help them make this typical house suit them and their unique lives.

Starting with the Big Picture Plan, Niki and Gabor completed their PreDesign Prepbook to create a vision for their home and the lives they wanted to live. 

This process of deep consideration of their space, needs and desires, helped them to realise straight away that they could make an immediate improvement to their lives by changing the room Gabor was using as his home office. This simple change of use from their large front bedroom to the living room downstairs solved several of the barriers to them enjoying time together that they had been experiencing.

During their Design Day we discussed their vision for their home and lives in depth, and looked forward to their hopes for the future, involving growing their family. We then explored several options that could provide them with the space they needed both now and for the long term.

Following the Big Picture Plan, Niki and Gabor were happy that they had several design ideas that were new to them, and excited to see the potential in their home. After some time considering their options they decided to progress their project and continue to work with me with the 3D Design Package. 

With 3D computer modelling I virtually built their home and walked Niki and Gabor through how a redesign could look, discussing how this would work for them. We arrived at a preferred design solution and I then submitted this for them to their local planning department.

Then we had a nail biting wait to hear back from the planners.

It was bad news!

​We were pushing the planning boundaries with their proposal so, although not very much bigger than permitted development, it was not supported by the planners on the basis of overshadowing and creating a tunnelling effect. Sadly the case officer and planning team were not open to negotiation or compromise positions and refused to consider our suggested revisions. So I withdrew the application and reflected on how I could ensure that Niki and Gabor had the double height space they needed.

Going back to the drawing board, I reconsidered the discussions we had during their Design Day. I had understood that when they decided to grow their family in the future they would want to retain all four bedrooms. So we hadn’t explored many options that reconfigured the space they already had to create that double height space. But I knew that by taking out the floor between the living room and the front bedroom they could easily get the space they needed without an extension.

When I went back to Niki and Gabor and explained the sad situation on their planning application, I asked if creating their double height space using the living room and bedroom might be an option for them. They were surprised because they had discounted this as an option thinking it would be too difficult or impossible to achieve. They told me that losing a bedroom in order to gain their double height space was more than OK for them.

This was a very simple solution to create the space they needed. It could also be achieved quickly and within their tight budget. Plus it will be easy to reinstate a floor if they need an extra bedroom in future.

Explaining exactly what they needed to do, along with outlining what was technically possible and would give them the best outcome, I supported them to progress their project with their chosen structural engineer, Gaurya Limited and contractor, ProBuild Lancaster Ltd.

Now Niki and Gabor are free to practise aerial acrobatics whenever and as often as they like. Not needing to travel to Manchester saves them 28 hours and £300 each month. Time and money that they can use to practice their passion more often.

Do you too dream of having the freedom to enjoy your extraordinary life, pursuing your passions and making the most of your shared life with loved ones? 

Find out here how the Big Picture Plan can help you create your vision and explore your options >>