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small pictures above for larger viewsThe clients, both senior academics, were keen to push a few limits and express their green credentials. They had taken the bold move of buying a large 1920s brick house near the centre of Headington that had been badly converted into 3 flats so as to lose its identity. The brief was to return it to being a large family house, with the ability to host formal events.The design removed all the various accretions and rediscovered the underlying structure, including reinstating the original staircase. |
Early on it was decided to construct the extension using perforated clay blocks (Thermoplan) with thin horizontal beds and no additional insulation. These were to be rendered on both sides with self coloured lime mortar. A continuous cast lintel using proprietry blocks over the windows and under the eaves was used to neatly tie the structure together. This is proving to be a highly efficient building method and excellent insulation. | |
| But this was much more than refurbishment, as the axis of the house switched even during the construction phase, from the formal front entrance to the rear ‘street’ entrance.This entailed opening up the back of the house and then extending the kitchen into a lofty dining/sitting room, following the shape of the existing roof and fitting the new roof between existing windows | The deep roof was packed with hemp insulation batts with compressed wood fibre board (Pavatherm) which acted both as structural sarking as well as insulation and breather membrane. Velux solar panels integrate with the rooflights on the main house. |
