Country Lodge; Warnford, Hampshire

This Country Lodge was totally refurbished; chimneys and load bearing walls were removed opening up the kitchen / family area as well as modernising the first floor by removing outdated arches.

The original ground floor consisted of many different levels making it feel like “the house that Jack built” however with some careful planning we managed to transform the ground floor to one level. The ceilings required the same treatment as they too were at different levels and required some adjustment.

A solid Oak floor was laid throughout the family / kitchen / dining and entrance hall; this area was fitted with a wet under-floor heating system.

Original water tanks were removed from the loft, as they became obsolete when a new pressurized heating system was installed.

The staircase was repositioned to make it a feature; whilst keeping the design of the staircase as simple and clean cut as possible we decided to use Oak for the handrail which picked up the timber in the floor.

The house was completely rewired, re-plumbed and re-plastered.

Stable Block replaced with Library and Gym; Ringwood, Hampshire

The existing stable block opposite, had fallen into disrepair through neglect; water had penetrated the building via the roof, windows and doors. It was a single skin construction therefore it was easier and more cost effective to demolish and to rebuild than renovate. The new owners had moved their family home from London to the Country whilst retaining their business interest in the City; this building would provide the ideal opportunity to work from home; it would also double up as accommodation for overnight guests with the installation of a kitchenette and wet room.

Once the stable block had been demolished a new library /gymnasium, kitchenette and wet room were constructed; these rooms would link up with the existing garage which adjoined the original stables.

The new build would require sympathetic construction retaining the features of the main house i.e. windowsills, roof and detailed brickwork around the eaves.

When excavating the footings in order to start building the foundations it was discovered there was an area of clay, this meant we would have to dig deeper and shutter up both sides of the trench to prevent it collapsing before filling it with wire baskets and concrete as per the structural engineer’s recommendations.

The normal depth of footings to Building Regulation requirements is up to 1m; the footings in this clay area had to be excavated to a depth of 2.4m. You can see in one of the photographs the amount of construction required below ground level. Sometimes, clients do not appreciate the amount of work which is carried out below the ground; these photographs demonstrate what can happen if you have clay as part of the makeup of the earth.

The double trusses were constructed on site and formed part of the internal feature of the building. The gymnasium had an en-suite wet room which necessitated the walls being “tanked” in order to stop water penetrating the main structure. Under-floor heating was installed throughout the building allowing flexibility when it came to arranging furniture. The ceramic floor tiles doubled up as skirting when cut. Light Domes were fitted in the roof to bring extra light into the building. All joinery items seen within this building were purpose made to enhance the timber element of the construction; the timber was treated and sealed.