HATHERLEY ROAD

A wonderful mix of the reclaimed and new materials went into this renovation and extension of an end of terrace house in Bishopston, Bristol.  Ingrid and Andrew moved from the house next door with the aim to make a characterful and sustainable home, built around their tastes and lifestyles.  

Having been extended in a piecemeal way, the layout at the back of the house was cellular and awkward.  Dividing walls and structure were removed to make a large yet zoned kitchen, living and dining spaces. The full width rear extension makes the most of the threshold to the newly landscaped garden with internal and external windows seats, a shaded external area and great views. With places to perch it’s really possible to inhabit the threshold between the house and the garden. 

The house needed a new roof so we used the available space - the master  has a pitched ceiling and the spare bedroom / study has a mezzanine level with great views across Bristol. And there is a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery  (MVHR) system in the remaining loft space. 

Andrew and Ingrid suggested cork cladding (they’re good friends with the owner of sustainable materials company Ty Mawr…). It’s really good stuff. The façade cork is the finish, the insulation and the waterproofing and it’s breathable too. We used it internally and externally so the extension has a carved appearance. The rest of the house is externally insulated with lime rendered cork. 

The house was completed in 2018 and since then there have been quite a few cork buildings and extensions in the press -  that’s a wrap on the knuckles for not shouting about it at the time… 

The reclaimed and reused parts include 4500 parquet flooring blocks from Bristol University (carefully cleaned up by Andrew and Ingrid – putting them in the freezer helps), teak external window cills / seats from a shipwreck and Zac Goldsmith’s old Baultup kitchen (both via ebay). 

This project was a lot of fun, and now it’s a happy home.

 

Working with Gambles Architects was the best decision we made and from the very first meeting they got what we were trying to do and how we wanted to be as sustainable as possible - their open mindedness and willingness to work with some friends who run an environmental building company was pivotal in hatching our plan!!  Their tenacity, attention to detail and resolve were an essential element in the success of the project.  Andrew & Ingrid