2019-07-01 Homebuilding & Renovating

homebuilding.co.uk 141

image: imperial handmade bricks

by Ian Rock

T

here are two opposing camps in the

world of home extension design:

those who like to ‘make a statement’

by building something a bit daring, and

those who favour authenticity, preferring

to replicate the style of the existing house.

Which of these is appropriate will depend

on factors such as the age and type of

property you want to extend.

A conservation-led approach may be

desirable where an existing house exudes

bags of charm, such as a period cottage.

That said, the local planning department

may, conversely, hope to see an addition

more in keeping with present times —

‘an evolution in time’. An unloved 1970s

‘box’ could also be crying out for a more

adventurous ‘ugly to lovely’ facelift.

Of course there’s nothing to stop you

incorporating a bit of both, perhaps some

traditional brickwork combined with

expanses of structural glazing, for instance.

Either way, there’s probably some truth in

the perception that council planners and

neighbours are more readily mollified by

the promise of design consistency, whereas

architects blessed with creative skills tend

to favour more radical options. Ultimately,

however, the decision rests, for the most

part, with the homeowner who has to

stump up the cash to pay for it all.

Sticking something ‘a bit different’ on

the back of your property is arguably the

easier option, technically speaking, since it

allows considerable design freedom, almost

like building a new house from scratch.

Whereas, designing your extension so that

it closely matches the style of the existing

property is obviously going to impose

constraints on the choice of materials

and may also require trades versed in

traditional skills, such as lime rendering.

The thing both approaches have in

common is that unless carefully executed

the project may detract from the aesthetics

and consequently value of your property.

For instance, half-heartedly replicating

intricate Georgian or Tudor workmanship

with cheap modern materials diminished

by lackadaisical workmanship is a recipe

From roofs to windows and the walls in between,

matching materials like-for-like on an extension

can be a challenge, so here’s what you need to

know before you start your build project

EXTENSIONS:

How to match

existing materials

IAN ROCK

is a chartered

surveyor and

director of

http://www.rightsurvey.

co.uk and the

author of eight

popular Haynes

House Manuals

The Build exTeNsIONsOluTIONs