Park Road, Hampton
Park Road, Richmond
Removing 80's conservatories is increasingly common; we always hear how unusable they are and when we remove them, we usually discover that they had been very badly built.
"We have loved every step of the design process with Sam and her team at Architecture:WK. The Design in a Day workshop was the perfect way for us to figure out what we wanted our renovation project to include, and we couldn't be happier with the design that came out of it. Everyone at Architecture:WK has been fantastic to deal with - wonderful people as well as being incredibly talented architects! We can't recommend them highly enough!"
The conservatory at this property looked attractive, but was difficult to use - it was too bright in a west facing garden, too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. When it was added, the original builders did not quite get the floor levels right so there was a shallow step between the spaces and the site work uncovered the fact that there was no floor insulation, no damp proof membrane and no ventilation to the timber floors at the front of the house. We did not need to extend the footprint by much in this instance, and it was a matter of rationalising the spaces to creating a more cohesive and beautiful family space. The kitchen at the heart of this living space speaks of the clients' love of cooking and family dining. A secret door in the kitchen leads to the utility room and through to the garden. With every project we look to upgrade the fabric of the existing, especially in detached properties, to ensure that the heat loss and gains are better than they were. In this case, our clients also applied for planning permission for solar panels on top of the flat roof to the building. On a pitched roof, they can be done under Permitted Development, if within the required criteria. The kids in this project have grown up and moved out but come home for weekend meals and family gatherings. The space is great for those lovely Sunday afternoon by the fire, come rain or shine.