Preserving our British heritage is very important to us, yet older buildings do need to be updated both for improved energy efficiencies and modern living.

Built in the late 17th Century, Grove House is a prominent 5-bedroom, 3 storey home on the Essex coastline. Our design proposals were born from bringing a new lease of life to this stunning property with changes proposed to the internal layout to improve spaces and flow, create a master suite, additional bedrooms and a walk-in pantry in the existing house off the new kitchen housed in a new contemporary extension. The third floor was an uninhabitable, poorly constructed space, with badly rotten floor boards due to a leaking roof. Our proposal changes that, with a third floor reinstated and enlarged with 2 symmetrically striking zinc clad dormers providing 2 additional bedrooms.

It’s not just the back we worked on, we propose sensitive restoration of the brickwork to the front and replacement of decaying single paned sash windows with new energy efficient ones, yet still retain its beautiful Georgian façade.

In the long garden, we propose a new outbuilding to house a home office, shed and car parking all from its current unused rear access.

As with all of our projects, sustainability is paramount. Hot water and space heating for the house will be achieved via an air source heat pump, with upgraded glazing helping to reduce operational energy demand. A sedum and wildflower green roof is proposed for the contemporary rear extension to reduce heat loss and heat gain via thermal mass, whilst enhancing the gardens biodiversity. The south pitch of the outbuilding to the rear has been cleverly designed to accommodate a solar PV array overlooking the railway embankment. This will provide green energy to the house, outbuilding and electric vehicle charging points.

If you have a Listed building or are within a Conservation Area and are struggling with planning consent, get in touch to see how Clear Architects can make a difference to your home.