Set in the tree lined, leafy suburban part of Reigate, the clients felt strongly that the replacement dwelling should sit in harmony with its location. The design of the building was to be traditional with a contemporary twist. Being adjacent to Wray Common conservation area, the planners were also keen to see the dwelling blend with the surrounding houses, in terms of style, scale and massing. Creative Architecture was able to keep the perceived scale from the street, yet increase what was a 3.5 bedroom, 1 bathroom house to a 7 bedroom, 5 bathroom spacious property. With careful design and massing, the replacement dwelling was increased from a 170m² to just under 400m² of generously proportioned living space, without impacting the street scene or the neighbouring properties.
The gabled protrusions on the front elevation are reminiscent of the existing 1920s house and of the neighbouring properties. The roof pitch and the window proportions were also kept similar, to help the continuity of the visual elements that make up the street scene.
Although the clients were keen to keep the design fairly traditional, they had other ideas when it came to sustainability. The brief was for an eco-friendly house that would use the latest building methods and technology to make the house as efficient as possible. The structure in this project was made up of SIPs panels (Structurally Insulated Panels) which are highly insulated and can be constructed to be very airtight, resulting in very low running costs. As well as being kind to the environment, the panels are much more quickly erected; reducing the construction period. The dwelling’s water and space heating comes from an ASHP (Air Source Heat Pump), including Solar PV panels. Additionally, there is a heat recovery system and triple glazed windows that help make this home, extremely energy efficient.
