CASE STUDY A SUSTAINED EFFORT
The end result of Sarah and Andy Ball’s somewhat gruelling self-build saga is a sleek, modern ‘forever’ home in Derby, with wide-open views of landscape plus space, comfort and sustainability
TEXT JAMES PARKER O
ver the past couple of years we have tracked the progress of the Balls’ contemporary Derby self-build in
Selfbuilder + Homemaker, and it has been a rollercoaster to say the least. Being let down by not one but two builders, they ended up spending four Christmases living onsite before they even got to start their forever home, a real test of character.
The story starts back in 2013, when Sarah and Andy moved into the house they were to demolish on the 13 metre x 30 metre plot, which backs onto a hilly park in the suburb of Allestree. They lost their original builder when the firm ran into trouble, and in early 2017 with their design approved and ready to go, they found out there would be a 40-week delay due to other jobs. When they finally demolished in January 2018 and moved into a bungalow, the ‘Beast from the East’ meant they didn’t actually get to start building until April. It’s testimony to the couple’s fortitude that they didn’t lose heart completely. Their experience working in the construction industry (marketing in Sarah’s case, commercial roofing in Andy’s), and doing previous refurbishments meant they knew how things can go awry. While a new build was the goal, they pragmatically began to look at the options, such as refurbishing, or project managing a new build themselves.
Sarah and Andy’s only fixed goal was creating the right kind of space for them and visiting family and friends, as well as strong energy-efficiency credentials, but they also wanted a very contemporary look. The design, done by architect Daniel Evans from Matthew Montague Architects was for a “crisp white box,” in Sarah’s words – flat- roofed like the smaller L-shaped building it replaced, but with a far better use of its site. Sarah says there haven’t been any issues with neighbours complaining: “They’ve been lovely, nobody’s really batted an eyelid.” The site was ideal – the old village and shops being nearby, but not being subject to the strict planning rules there which would make a modernist flat-roofed house tricky. Sarah says: “There’s a variety of styles here, from Victorian to a dutch barn, to chalet-style, and a large white- rendered house which we’ve given a nod to.”
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www.sbhonline.co.uk LOW POINT
“In the original plan, there was a glass roof above the guest ensuite. We just couldn’t make it work, so we had to rethink it. Any redesign costs a fortune – it’s galling that it cost so much extra money for removing a design feature.” – Sarah Ball
Sarah and Andy’s only fixed goal was creating the right kind of space for them and visiting family and friends, as well as strong energy-efficiency credentials
Andy and Sarah have a big family – Andy has five brothers. “We wanted a house where we could throw a party – if we do, there’s often more than 30 people”. They wanted an entertaining space that could accommodate such a gathering, rather than being split across different rooms.
The house is of brick and block construction. It has very thick external walls, packed with insulation, and Andy took a painstaking approach to filling all gaps with extra expanding
september/october 2019
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