Jerry Tate Architects showcase their latest project, a beautiful extension to a listed edwardian house in the royal tunbridge wells conservation area
The Hollin House project is a beautiful extension to a handsome locally listed Edwardian House in the Royal Tunbridge Wells Conservation Area. completed by architectural firm Jerry Tate Architects, the property is now enjoyed by a young family.
The property includes a large open-plan kitchen and living area looking out onto the garden, a new utility area and a new master bedroom. This is combined with a general program of refurbishment and re-configuration throughout. The sustainable credentials of the property have been improved by increasing the distribution of natural light, upgrading the fabric of the building and providing a completely new heating and services strategy, with the extension acting as a modern services ??plug-in?? for the house.
The new extension is a timber framed build clad in black stained ??Lunawood?? tongue and groove cladding. This super-insulated enclosure is complimented by triple glazed windows from Hajom. The fabric of the new extension is therefore very efficient in operation. Further to this the new utility room includes a new and efficient primary heating system for the property, effectively a modern ??plug-in?? for the existing building. The scheme addressed two key concerns of the client and existing building.
Whilst the clients loved the existing Edwardian house overall, they felt it needed significant updating, specifically in terms of a new kitchen and master bedroom area. One of the client couple is Swedish and the extension uses many Swedish design ideas as well as a number of actual components from Sweden such as the Hajom windows. Secondly the additional section of the house addresses the issue of daylight within the property. The key issue with the existing building was a small kitchen facing the rear north side of the house.
By introducing a double height glazed area at the front of the property Jerry Tate Architects were able to get daylight deep into the new open plan kitchen area. By including the dining area as an extended garden room the Western evening sunlight is now able to stream into the property. These strategies significantly brighten and improve the family accommodation in the home. The existing building has been extensively refurbished including new bronze framed double glazing, improved insulation, underfloor heating and re-decorating throughout.
Jerry Tate was approached in 2008 regarding the build and was asked to look at possibilities of extending and retrofitting the house to include a new open plan family kitchen/dining/living space and improve the overall energy efficiency of the home. The original house was built in 1907 and having bought the draughty property the client was keen to improve the natural levels of day light, especially in the old north facing kitchen. The client also loved the surrounding mature trees and wanted to bring an element of the tree canopies into the proposed design.
The project involved demolishing the existing garage and outhouse to build a new two storey side extension (which includes a single storey extension into the rear garden). The new extension includes a new utility room with all new heating and electrical services, a new ??dirty-boots?? entrance lobby, a new open plan kitchen/dining/living area and a new glass bridge connecting to a new master bedroom with ensuite.
The project also involved extensive reorganising and refurbishment to the existing house including removing the east gable wall, replacing leaded windows, rendering the external walls, installing underfloor heating with a new timber floor, installing a new wood burning stove and installing new insulation to the ground floor and pitched roof.
The sustainable credentials of the property have been significantly improved by increasing the distribution of natural light, upgrading the fabric of the building and providing a completely new heating and services strategy, with the extension acting as a modern services ??plug-in?? for the house. The new extension is a timber framed timber clad building in black stained ??Lunawood?? tongue and groove cladding. This super-insulated enclosure is complemented by triple glazed windows from Hajom. The fabric of the new extension is therefore very efficient in operation. Further to this the new utility room includes a new and efficient primary heating system for the property, effectively a modern ??plug-in?? for the existing building.
In terms of barriers when working on the property the project was the close proximity of the mature trees and the affect the new extension would have on the tree roots. Each of the surrounding trees had a tree preservation order and therefore great care was taken to ensure any proposed building works did not damage the tree roots. An Arboricultural Consultant was engaged early on to help develop a strategy that would protect the roots.
Jerry Tate’s solution was to incorporate a cantilevered foundation system with a percolation zone that allows water and nutrients to get to the roots without putting any pressure on the trees.
Along with other similar projects Jerry Tate Architects will also monitor the energy consumption of the house over the coming years to compare their design predictions with actual consumption, using and sharing this data to assist with future designs.
