done. And then I just put the whole project to bed, as I, and my family, tried to grapple with what had happened,” says Merula. She did, however, make what turned out to have been a crucial move at this point, and chose to renew planning consent. This had the effect of pushing any kind of deadline further down the road, and allowed her three more years before having to make a final decision on the matter. “I did nothing for a while,” she recalls. “But finally I decided that if I was going to do a build, I just had to get on with it. So then I picked up the phone to a [kit build] company called Baufritz.”
A meeting was arranged with Baufritz architect Robert Lumme, and Merula’s brother and sister-in-law came along to give an objective ear, as by then Merula had done some research and was concerned that it all sounded too good to be true. “I asked Robert what is it about a Baufritz house that is so different? What is so special? Why should I go to Germany to choose a house when there are a million architects here in England? And the fundamental thing for me was their ethos,” she says. “Their absolute commitment to using materials that have no toxins, and using sustainable materials from top to toe – from their paints to the carpet. That really rang a bell with me.” Visits to some homes built by Baufritz in the UK only served to fuel Merula’s enthusiasm, so
36
www.sbhonline.co.uk
Robert Lumme suggested she travel to Baufritz’s German headquarters in Erkheim, Bavaria, to settle on a design and meet the people who would be working on her project. “Going to Germany was a wonderful experience,” she says. “You see the sort of materials that you can select for the internal fit and external cladding. One of the things that I really warmed to was the fact that I could have any design I wanted, subject to the span of a section being able to be produced in their factory. You could have pitched roof, flat roof, Bauhaus – any style that’s likely to be approved by your local district council.” Merula opted for a gable roof with dark
charcoal clay tiles, larch cladding in a contemporary profile on the upper floor and attic, and organic mineral render on the lower half. “Around the windows I chose olive green powder-coated aluminium, just to be different and because it settles well with the garden,” she explains.
At this point an issue with planning arose. Standards had evolved since the Frankels first received consent, and the district council now required the build to have 25 per cent renewables in order to maximise energy saving, but wouldn’t permit solar panels to be installed because it was a conservation area. Baufritz solved the problem by opting for a small gas boiler, and introducing a mechanical heat
MERULA’S TOP TIPS
Have as clear a vision as possible before you start about what it is you want. I think when we originally started looking to do a project, we really didn’t have a clear vision, but by the time I actually came to do it, I knew exactly what I wanted. That made the process much simpler.
Don’t try to build too big. I have fewer rooms but with a sense of spaciousness that works perfectly – I’m very comfortable.
Once you’re set on your design, try not to chop and change, because applying for variations can cost quite a bit extra.
issue 02 2021
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
