Abbey Park, West Bridgford
This project is close to my heart as it’s my own home!
My husband and I are both architects and love 1970s homes. We bought the house knowing it was ‘a project’ but we could see the potential in the space as soon as we first saw it. The building work started just before Covid lockdowns gripped the country. Living on a building site while working from home and home-schooling two small children was a challenge, but it was 100% worth it.
We wanted to create a contemporary, bright, environmentally conscious home that worked for our family and could also accommodate my design studio. The plot shape is relatively shallow, but this challenge became the driving force for the design. We angled the rear kitchen extension to face the deeper, more open aspect of the garden towards the park beyond and towards the setting sun. Watching the sunset over the park from our new kitchen is something which brings us joy throughout the year.
The tired tile hanging on the elevations has been replaced with a cosy blanket of insulated render. This has made a noticeable difference to the thermal comfort of the house. The rear extension is clad in western red cedar in contrast to the render elsewhere, so it blends with the garden.
The works have transformed how we live and work in the house. The warm, bright spaces work just how we wanted them to and we’re incredibly proud of the design.
