The Victorian House

Extensions and Alterations of an Historic Country House

Sector: Residential
Client: Private
Value range: £1m – £1.5m

The project involved the extension and refurbishment of an existing Country House to create a modern wing with an emphasis on creating new family leisure spaces.

Scope of work

  • The extension created a new family room, games room, hobby room, staff accommodation, boot room, new garaging, sauna, and pool changing area.
  • External landscaping included a swimming pool, hot tub, pétanque pitch, terracing with a water feature and fire pit, seating, and an external kitchen with BBQ, pizza oven, and storage.

Construction Challenges:

  • The family room was built on the site of an old swimming pool, which required draining and infilling.
  • Large glazed sliding doors with minimal sightlines were installed to extremely small tolerances, designed to eliminate issues with structural movement.
  • The clerestory construction involved aligning exposed internal steelwork to create a flat ceiling appearance while accommodating steel deflection.

Interior Features:

  • Ground floor rooms were designed over multiple levels to match the site slope, including a new sauna, changing rooms, boot room, and a glass room for entertaining.
  • First-floor staff accommodation included a new bathroom and bedroom, with a bat roost in the remaining roof void, and a timber-clad vaulted hobby and games room.
  • The extension was linked to the existing house via a photo corridor with bespoke cabinetry and illuminated wine coolers, creating a wine cellar-style transition.

Renovations:

  • The existing house was renovated to include a new home office, casual workstation area, and a new rear entrance lobby.

Mechanical and Electrical Works:

  • The extension was heated with underfloor heating from a ground source air pump, providing hot water to various areas.
  • Instantaneous gas-fired water heaters were installed for internal and external showers to ensure consistent hot water supply.
  • An MVHR system was installed for ventilation, with an additional cooling pack for summer use.

Interior Finishes:

  • Luxurious finishes required high attention to detail, including shadow gaps to plaster work, concealed track blinds, and curtaining.
  • Bespoke cabinetry with pocket doors was installed around TV, media, and lighting elements.
  • Large format and skewed pentagon-shaped floor tiles required skilled layout and installation.

External Works:

  • Terracing and landscaping were designed at an angle to the view, including services for a fire pit and external kitchen.
  • Retaining walls were clad with dry stone walling, requiring precise detailing.
  • Landscaping included a pétanque pitch with external lighting and an attenuation tank for rainwater, linked to an automated irrigation system for planting.
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