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PROJECT REPORT: SELFBUILD & CUSTOM BUILD PROJECTS
An important feature was a large masonry gable facing onto the street, followed by two glass gables stepping back from it
when the couple came across a two-storey, stone house for sale in the conservation area of Tobermory, they jumped at the chance to do their first project on Mull. The property had already seen some renovation, as Jane recalls: “It had been split into two flats in the fifties, but the previous owners had managed to purchase both and restored it back to one property.” The previous owner was a haulier and had built an enormous, two-storey steel shed in the back yard which presented Jane with further potential for redevelopment. For five years, The Art House (as they named the old stone building), was the couple’s much-loved home, but in 2019 they turned it into a holiday let and moved into their new home after managing to realise the shed site’s full potential. Aware that councils are usually keen to prioritise development on brownfield sites, Jane had always hoped that eventually she and David would be able to develop the old, two-storey steel haulage shed at the back. “We had a good idea that we’d be allowed something, we just didn’t know what, because we were in the conservation area – that was a real challenge.” Having written a book about how to design contemporary houses in both
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
landscape and conservation settings in 2013, ‘Contemporary Design Secrets,’ Jane followed her own advice when applying for planning permission to build the Origami Studio – a bold, contemporary, two storey home.
Persuading planners
She says that her book came in handy to help assuage the concerns of planning officers: “When you apply for permission in a conservation area, it’s not only the size and scale of the proposal, but also, what’s the design concept that will make it blend into the historic fabric.” Jane used her book as a reference: “I could point to the houses I had built, and demonstrate the level of detail I apply.” She continues: “ It’s one thing drawing a sketch for a planning application; it’s another demonstrating to the planners that you can deliver it. My book helped give the planners confidence.” In terms of detail, she not only means materials that are locally sourced, but items like the mortared verges and heavy aluminium gutters would all be in keeping with existing properties in the area. “It’s these little details that tie a building into its historic setting even when the overall design is contemporary in nature.”
ADF JULY 2022
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