A planning application was submitted in 2022 for the extension of this Derbyshire care home facility to create a much needed dedicated dementia unit. Projections for 2017 to 2040 suggest a 74% rise in those with dementia. We need to plan for more support, both at home, but also in dedicated units for those with Dementia and/or Alzheimer’s disease.
The proposals went through a thorough planning review and were recommended for approval by the Local Planning Authority. Unfortunately, the application was subsequently turned down by the planning committee in late 2022.
Since then we have been working with the client, and through a new pre-application with the Local Planning Authority, to review the concerns of the planning committee. Feedback from the LPA has been very positive and we’re now in a position to make a resubmission.
Category: Projects
Low Energy House Out To Tender
Thinking Buildings have been working with a private client in Warwickshire to develop plans for a low-energy home.
A bungalow occupies the existing site and this will form the basis for a new house. It will undergo a complete renovation and transformation. The roof will be taken off and replaced with a new timber-framed first floor. An extension to the rear will provide a master bedroom with an ensuite and direct access to the rear garden. Finally, the building will be wrapped in insulation, with a new insulated ground floor and roof. An MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery) system will be installed to recover heat from extracted air from the bathrooms and kitchen. The air is then passed over a heat exchanger to pre-warm fresh incoming air. The house will be heated and generate hot water from an air-source heat pump. New external doors and triple-glazed windows will be installed.
This will transform a poorly insulated 1960’s bungalow into a modern, warm, and comfortable house for the 21st century. It also serves as a great example of the creative reuse of an existing building, injecting new life and locking in carbon.
Do Contact Us if you’d like to know more about how we could help transform a building for you.
Modern Farmhouse Case Study, Northamptonshire
As promised, we’re pleased to be able to share this case study for a new farmhouse in Northamptonshire.
The form is based on agricultural buildings, with a Dutch barn steel frame, which has been elevated by the high quality materials used to clad it. The resulting house is both modern family home and hub for the working farm with boot room, office and ancillary spaces in part of the ground floor.
Click through to see the stunning shots of this project in collaboration with SOLID Structures & Infrastructure.
We look forward to sharing our ongoing work here in due course.
https://thinking-buildings.co.uk/news/houses-and-homes/modern-farmhouse-northamptonshire
Holiday Let Planning Approved
We are delighted to have achieved planning consent for a new holiday let development. This new arrival building will provide communal social space, and 3 new holiday let units alongside a U shaped courtyard of further holiday lets. The design is traditional in shape but using contemporary touches and detailing. This scheme has evolved from a site wide masterplan developed by Thinking Buildings with the farm owners to diversify their commercial operations, including a new Dutch Barn style farmhouse that was recently completed. What a fantastic result to maximise the development potential of this site.
Elm Tree Farmhouse
We wanted to give you a sneak peek of an upcoming case study we are working on following completion of this replacement farmhouse in a Dutch barn style.
The building is clad in Thermowood that is extremely durable with high performance aluminium windows and doors. The entrance is framed in dark grey metal standing seam cladding. In combination with the large format glazing the entrance is welcoming and creates a strong sense of arrival.
We will bring you more photos of this stunning project soon.
Modern Barn Conversion
Our latest project on the virtual drawing board is this design to convert an existing modern agricultural building into a fantastic new home. These large format buildings often have lots of internal volume to create generous amounts of living space. This design has 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, formal sitting room and a vast open plan living, kitchen and dining space. A double height gallery leads to the first floor bedrooms. From the outside the design maintains its simple shape, with the larger openings deeply inset to form the entrance and a covered patio area. The proposed materials include a zinc standing seam roof that is folded to the ground to form the side walls. The 2 gable walls are timber clad to soften the buildings appearance. We will keep you posted on this one.
Renovation work starts on site
It is always exciting to see a project start on site and to see the many months, and sometimes years, of virtual hard work become reality. This project will transform this outdated and awkward looking house into a modern family home for our clients with new front, side and rear extensions and a beautiful open plan living area to the rear overlooking open countryside. We look forward to updating you with progress over the following months.
Somerset Farmhouse Before and After
We did the snagging inspection at this Somerset farmhouse last week and as it nears completion we thought it would be fun to dig out some photos from our first visit to the property. It’s always rewarding to look back over a project to appreciate the transformation that can be achieved. Who doesn’t love a before and after transformation?!
Besides the final finishes that can be seen here, the property has had a full rewire, new plumbing and the external walls were insulated throughout. So not only does it look a lot more up to date, it performs that way too.
Contemporary Zinc Roofed Extension
This contemporary extension to a Cotswold home is really coming together as the zinc roofing goes on. The zinc finish was matched to the window colour and has a concealed gutter integrated into the overhang for a seamless finish throughout the exterior. A flush threshold on the sliding glass doors will minimise the transition from inside to outside.
We are looking forward to the completion of this project in time for the spring.
Planning Approved in Kenilworth
We are delighted to start March with the confirmation that planning approval has been granted at planning committee for two new detached homes in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.
The new houses are planned for a garden site next to an existing Georgian house. The houses are designed in a similar style so they sit comfortably in an enclosed site. Georgian buildings have a strong symmetrical shape and are proportioned according to classical design principles. The new houses take on many of these principles and also specific features from the existing house, Kenilworth Lodge.
Although traditional in design, the houses will meet or exceed the current UK Building Regulations for good thermal performance. They will incorporate a mechanical ventilation system (MVHR) and and air source heat pump (ASHP) for heating.
Please do contact us if you have a project in mind.
