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What your Conservatory is saying is “Replace me”!

Conservatory: lovely concept but far too hot in summer, too cold in winter. Terrible thermal performance is the number one reason to get rid of it, that’s what it’s trying to tell you! But take care not to replace it with an extension that is glazed to the extent that the same problems might persist.

Poor Performance

Designing a new extension to replace a conservatory is a brief I’m commonly presented with. The main reason cited for replacing it is always poor thermal performance, don’t get me wrong – conservatories have their place but they aren’t very functional for year round family living and if yours is a dumping ground for toys and garden paraphernalia, fear not – there are others out there just like you.

That said, there are some huge advantages in terms of light that come from a fully glazed room. And in replacing a conservatory it’s often the case that you’ll want to go for as much glass as you can, which could in turn perpetuate the same conditions. Fortunately, the Building Regulations have some criteria to help you avoid this in terms of amount of glazing that is permitted before you reach a tipping point. After which you’re required to mitigate your excess glass by “over insulating” other components to compensate, although this is more in relation to heat loss than solar gains.

There are lots of options including triple glazing and solar control coatings to help improve the performance of your glazing and the orientation of your building will be a key factor too. The angle of the sun comes into play somewhat in the UK where it’s low and weak in the winter (desirable) but high and hot in the summer (problematic). If your main elevation is south or west facing, you’ll need to consider the design quite carefully to avoid overheating in the summer months. Solar shading in the form of a roof overhang or vertical fin might be an appropriate solution.

Panorama Overdose

Rarely do people say “I want to replace my conservatory becayse I hate looking at my garden”. But it’s worth considering, do you want to look out on all of your garden or just the best bits?

Frame a view of something worthwhile, mask out the ugly bits. Yes, the apple blossom is nice but do you want to look out at your knickers on the washing line when you’re sat on the sofa… when your friends have popped round to admire your lovely new extension? Maybe not.

It’s also worth considering that floor to ceiling glass can play havoc with your furniture layout, see also Is Open Plan Always The Answer? where it turns out walls have their place.

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Everybody loves good neighbours

“We know them really well, they’ll be fine with it”

That’s what I commonly hear when I ask how the neighbours will react to the plans for extending your home. It’s amazing how perception can sometimes be so far from reality and that’s why chumming up with your neighbours in advance of your building work is a strategic move.

Think about it, how would you feel if you saw your neighbours and their architect in the back garden waving their arms about, talking about building close to the boundary? You’d be twitching your metaphorical net curtains and perhaps rightly so. Generally people are resistant to change and predictably irrational if they don’t know what to expect.

Neighbours have the potential to make your journey from concept to completion a little bumpier that you might like, from Planning objections to Party Wall dissents they can throw more than a single spanner in the works. And whilst neighbourly Planning objections are sometimes discounted unless they’re made on policy grounds, it still doesn’t set you up for a very comfortable year ahead. Here are some tips on how to keep things on track:

5 Top Tips for Smooth Neighbourly Relations

  1. Inform them: well ahead of getting yourself an architect – let them know you’re thinking about extending, perhaps ask if they’ve also considered doing the same.
  2. Listen to them: are they concerned? If so, what in particular is an issue for them? When you come to appoint an architect, let them know about it so that they can consider how best to alleviate their concerns as well as meeting your brief.
  3. Share with them: once you’ve developed your ideas and have your plans ready – share with them, ahead of making a Planning application. There’s nothing neighbours like less than being ambushed. The local authority will let them know you’ve made an application, so get in before they hear it from somebody else.
  4. Involve them: dependent on the scale of proposals and whether it does impact them in anyway, you might consider tweaking your proposals a little in response to their concerns. I’ve had several meetings where getting client’s neighbours round for a cuppa has allowed us to mitigate any objections by simply taking their concerns on board in the first place.
  5. Manage their expectations: let them know when you anticipate the building work to be, let them know ahead of time that you’ll be sending a Party Wall Notice and what the process is.

It’s not about designing your extension by committee, and it’s not about foregoing your own aspirations to please the neighbours, but as with most things in life, communication is key to success.

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Design in response to context for the best outcome

Consider your home, why is it like it is? Probably the layout is largely just down to convention. Does it respond to context, orientation for example, any differently to the neighbouring houses? In this article I’m looking at how a large proportion of our homes simply follow convention, and how when extending or altering your home you have the opportunity to change this. Get the most out of your project by positively responding to context, as well as considering constraints.

A very potted history

Conventionally, home layouts, right from your Victorian terrace through to your fairly recent developer housing have little changed. With a front room, back room, kitchen, and bedrooms upstairs. Yes there are differences in scale but overall the functions are the same. The major changes to house design came with the introduction of indoor plumbing, first bringing your loo indoors and then eventually upstairs bathrooms becoming more common place. Our homes tend to have a clear distinction of public/private spaces – ground floor for all, upstairs for the occupants, unless your visitors need to use an upstairs bathroom, in which case you better hope you made the beds! Bungalows and even flats have a similar hierarchy but with less physical boundaries. Have you ever considered it another way?

Unconventional opportunities

I’m not talking about underground lairs or renovating shipping containers, balancing your house on a rock or some kind of mechanical Tracey Island. There are unconventional opportunities to be considered even with everyday homes. Maybe you’re fortunate enough to have great views from your home and you’d love an upstairs living space to take full advantage of it? Conventions are there to be challenged – sometimes there are reasons to do it differently and usually that’s about responding to context.

Context and constraints might appear to be one and the same, but I like look at context as something to respond to with positive interventions, to make a project unique and site specific. Whilst constraints usually fall more in the realm of being the most pragmatic way to approach things. Good design is a balancing act.

Context

Responding to context could be as simple as positioning a window to frame a view of a beautiful blossom tree. The window in itself isn’t a luxury, you’re going to need one but considering the wider context, the features of the garden as well as the internal layout, brings opportunity to do something a bit special; something more considered – designed. Orientation, working with sunlight is another contextual elements which can inform design but there are other less attractive aspects too which might included noise. In one of my current projects this has meant unconventionally positioning a bathroom on the front of the house in order to act as a buffer between a noisy road junction and the new bedroom beyond.

Constraints

Boundaries are often a physical constraint and one which can’t really be changed. Whilst other things such as drainage or structures can be adjusted with enough careful planning and budget. In one project, the constraint on the width of a new side extension brought about the opportunity to create a fabulous and unconventionally large bathroom with vaulted ceiling and roof lights, rather than simply squeeze the bedroom in to a tight spot.

Constraints are often linked to cost too, so it may mean making sensible choices about where to locate things to work with existing drainage, or to retain some structural piers to keep minimise expense. Throw enough money at it and most things are possible so you might say budget is the biggest constraint, other than regulations.

Good design is about creating a solution that works for the specific context and constraints of your site, not simply taking a cookie cutter approach. And remember, you don’t have to follow convention if there’s a good reason not to, be open to all of the possibilities.

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It’s not all about daylight, especially after dark

Natural light, sunlight, daylight… when was I last approached by a client keen to optimise their artificial lighting? I’m not sure I have been. Yet, artificial light is equally important, and there is great scope for creativity. Rarely does it get the same attention as the burning ball of fire in the sky but do give it some thought, for the evenings, or anytime past 3 o’clock and early morning mid winter!

Set the tone

Smart bulbs tie together the colour of lamps, pendants and cabinet lighting with copper hues

Lighting can make or break a space. Perhaps even more than furnishings the lighting anchors the feel of the space, the mood – warm or cold, bright or soft, utilitarian or cosy. Colour temperature sets the tone of the space, makes you feel calm and relaxed, or focused. Not to mention you can get some killer light fittings, which with their own sculptural beauty are a focal point and an opportunity for you to turn your extension into an art gallery of sorts.

Pendants, popular, good over an island if it’s fixed but do take care if you use them over dining table if you’re likely to move it at all. You’ll probably need some other lighting too if the design of your pendants focuses light downward rather than being omni directional. Task lighting is useful but there will always be times when you will need a good light level over the whole space.

Pendants look great day and night, defining zones, with wall lights enhancing artwork beyond

Take care that your lighting scheme is informed by your furniture layout but make it versatile enough, zoned for different uses. Ceiling lights are a no-brainer in kitchens and utility areas, whilst wall lights or floor lamps may be preferred for living spaces. When it comes to fittings shop savvy, if you love something invest but remember light fittings are easy enough to change. Go and look at what you’re buying in person if you can – the world wide web has never ending options but be sure to consider the dimensions of what you’re ordering so that they don’t look out of place.

Practicalities

How your lights are wired on different circuits and switch positions is also worth considering. Do you want to be able to switch from more than one position (the typical hall/landing scenario), do you want some lights on and others off at certain times? It’s becoming less important as the use of smart lighting becomes more mainstream but don’t overlook it entirely.

Often it seems to soon to be sitting down with your plans, before you’ve even got your building, to be talking about lighting. Although getting something on your drawings to reflect your intentions, even if it’s not the final design will go a long way to getting your electrical costs tied down. Electrical works are often priced on a per point basis so making your intentions known will ensure the tender accurately reflects your aspirations and not someone else’s assumptions.

Light up the dark

External lighting is often forgotten but will bring your extension to life in the evening. Be that some wall lights you can sit out with late on a summers evening, feature garden lighting to steps and planting or simply a light so you can see to out the bins out. Think through how you’ll use your home and capture those scenarios.

Make it a feature or keep it discreet

Get your artificial lighting right and your extension will be fabulous and functional, day and night.

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10 Common Mistakes Families make when Extending their Homes and How to Avoid them

As I started to write this I thought I’d struggle to come up with ten, but it was frighteningly easy to identify where things can go wrong if you let them…

1. Considering an extension in isolation

I’m a firm believer in the importance of your whole home working together, that the layout and flow through the spaces allows for your family to live without inconvenience. As someone who lives with their fridge in the garage (what were the previous owners thinking!) I can tell you that designing to overcome the functionality issues is always a priority over fancy finishes. Fear not – relocating the fridge is high on my agenda for my own renovation!

2. Stretching your budget too thin

Don’t be over ambitious, if you want to get to the end and still be able to furnish your home then set a budget and work within it. Remember you will have other costs on top of the build – professional fees, applications etc so budget some of your cash for that too.

3. Rushing the design process

It’s really important that you invest the time in getting your brief and proposals right. Communication is important, if you don’t understand something mention it early on. Can’t visualise it? Ask for a 3d sketch. It’s easy for architects to forget that house plans can seem like a foreign language to the lay person. Imagine trying to read a set of instructions in Greek, you’d likely need a translator, and if the translation didn’t make any sense you’d ask for it to be rephrased. Don’t hurry on confused, seek clarity.

4. Trying to outwit the tenders to save money

If you get 3 or 4 quotes that are all within a few thousand quid, then whether you like it or not – that is likely the cost of doing the work. Proceeding with an anomalously low tender in order to make savings is usually a misguided decision. You may well find the difference creeping back into the project via “extras”, especially if you don’t heed point 6.

5. Opting for a contractor who can start right now

With a few exceptions which we’ll come onto, any contractor worth his salt will be booked up. There’s a reason for this, they’re busy because they come recommended and they’re good at what they do. The exception? Perhaps they’ve had a job fall through, but still be wary and as always seek references. Aligning your ideal timescale with a contractor’s availability is not an easy feat but being realistic with your expectation of how soon you’re going to be able to get cracking will help.

6. Opting to manage your own build to save money on professional services

Now, it doesn’t always end in tears if you go it alone but keeping your architect involved throughout the build will undoubtedly save you a lot of time and hassle. Especially when it comes to figuring out monies due, whether adequate progress is being made, if it’s being built correctly, and it will protect your investment in design, see point 7. In my experience the outcomes are nearly always improved and relationships less strained.

7. Being persuaded to make design changes during the build

I cannot say this loud enough – don’t make changes on site without fully considering the implications – you’ve invested time and love in the design process, don’t spoil it now! I once had a builder tell a client that the property wasn’t deserving of the sleek product we had specified. It was something we had researched in detail along with the client to really bring a wow factor, not gold plated (that option was written off, rightly so!) but it was special and not beyond affordable. Subsequently they convinced the client to select something cheaper and no doubt easier to procure or install. Stick to your guns – don’t sit back at the end looking at your clunky version of what could have been.

8. Starting on site before you have all of your approvals in place

Not just your Planning Permission but your Building Regulations approval too. It’s far easier to change things on paper than in real life. Ensure that the details (especially any that relate to regulations) are figured out before you start, otherwise you’ll risk the time delays and cost uplift of rectifying it when it’s eventually picked up by the Building Control Inspector. You might also need a Party Wall Award or a Build Over Agreement, among other things. Starting your build without your paperwork in place is a sure fire way to elevate the heart rate once you realise that your work could be stopped whilst you sort things out.

9. Thinking your home insurance will cover it

It’s important to establish who is insuring what – be that your existing building, contents, the “works” etc. Depending on your chosen Building Contract (don’t proceed without one), you might even need a Joint Names insurance policy. Check, and double check, with your insurers that between you and your builders everything is covered. Insurance is a complex matter so be sure to seek specialist advice. You’d not be the first to think it’ll all be ok – only to find yourself rushing around in a mad panic after a fire/flood has destroyed your building work – to discover no one can make a claim. These things do happen, don’t take the risk.

10. Doing your own decorating

Ok, I was scraping the barrel for a point 10. but there is some truth in this one too. Whilst you don’t need to be Caravaggio to wield a roller, you do need some proficiency if you want it to look any good. I’ve seen many a pristine plastered wall marred by badly applied paint running into blobby drips. In the grand scheme of things decorating isn’t costly, so leave it to someone who is actually good at it!

If you’re just beginning to think about an extension project why not check out my handy resources to get off to the best start.