Location
Nottinghamshire
The Challenge
There are far too few bungalows in the UK to satisfy the current demand for them. There are many benefits of living on one level, not least for those with impaired mobility who find stairs difficult or impossible to use. But for some, an unaltered bungalow presents an opportunity to increase the floor area without having to use up too much of the remaining plot. Provided that the roof pitch is 30 degrees or more, it is usually possible to use the loft space for bedrooms. Often, carefully chosen ground floor additions can be combined with the use of the roof space to create a house that seems bigger on the inside.
Our Solution
Although in a pleasant countryside location, this bungalow had seen better days, and had an old-fashioned layout more suited to earlier generations. The couple who bought it decided they needed more bedroom space and extra bathrooms to make visits from their family more pleasant, as well as to offer extra privacy both to themselves and their guests. Due to the restrictions of the plot, the plan was long and narrow, with mainly blank side walls and a lack of daylight in the central areas. Bungalows sometimes suffer from long, dim corridors and a feeling of constriction on entering them, so a key feature of the new plan is a large hall and landing with a gallery and plenty of natural light from skylights. This sets the tone for the rest of house: the ‘corridor effect’ has been avoided by connecting the rooms directly to each other, one flowing into the next without resorting to a full open-plan layout. Bi-fold aluminium doors have modernised the appearance of the rear elevation and illuminate the living area. Upstairs, every possible scrap of space has been used with dressing tables, a TV and cupboards occupying the areas below headroom height.
