Category: Homes & Houses

We want to share another peak at our new house project that was recently submitted for planning consent. Whilst the front is strongly articulated by a series of interlocking architectural forms and overhanging first floor, the design to the rear is simpler, focusing on good proportions, soft tonal materials and the use of subtle brickwork detailing to provide texture and interest. Limited areas of burnt larch timber cladding provide contrast with the cream/beige facing brickwork. 

We hope to share a further update soon. The project developed with Zesta Planning Ltd. 

Thinking Buildings are delighted to have been involved in this project to renovate and extend this beautiful Grade II listed cottage in Bloxham. The works included gaining planning and listed building consent for a beautifully crafted oak framed bay window extension to the rear to connect the new kitchen to the lovely cottage garden. The refurbishment also involved adaptions to the kitchen, re-modelling an existing bathroom, and the house was re-thatched, complete with a row of ducks waddling the ridge…..

This wonderful new build house is located in the Cotswolds, towards the edge of an existing village, with enviable views out over open countryside. The site is located within a conservation area and in fairly close proximity to a listed building. The client’s brief was to maximise the site to create a substantial, new build, detached country house to include an out-building with a double carport, and a garden maintenance store.

The sensitivity of the village edge site and adjacency to the listed building dictated a traditional approach to building form and materials. The focus was on achieving an elegant and beautifully proportioned property with a strong sense of arrival and an appropriate degree of formality and grandeur to the principal elevation. To the rear, large expanses of glazing take advantage of the lovely west facing countryside views, along with a high quality, projecting oak framed glazed gable, that sits centrally on the rear facade.

The new 3 storey dwelling provides a total of 6 bedrooms, each with its own en-suite, including a fabulous master suite. At ground floor there is a large open plan kitchen, dining and living area, larder, boot room/utility, plant room, home office/study, and a separate drawing/sitting room.

This project follows on from a number of successful luxury country houses delivered by the Thinking Buildings Team. This project was expertly guided throughout by Miriam Owen, Iain Summerwood MRTPI and Sam Biles at Edgars planning consultants. 

Ahead of a more detailed case study piece, here’s a snapshot of a recently completed project close to our Bloxham office.

This project has transformed a tired, post war house, into a fantastic contemporary home for our clients. This photo shows the re-modeled front elevation with a new covered entrance, over-rendering, new and adapted window openings, and new two storey side extension. The project also includes a large rear extension with open plan living, dining, and kitchen areas, and significant re-modelling and improvement of internal rooms.

This is a great example of why we should always consider how an existing building can be creatively re-used before booking the bulldozer and wrecking ball.