For those in the know, the term ‘mundic’ signals an opportunity to self-build
no question of a simple renovation, as the house had been constructed using ‘mundic’ concrete. Used in housebuilding until the 1950s, it contains waste aggregates from tin mines, and contaminants in the aggregate cause the concrete to deteriorate over time, making the property unstable. While any building containing mundic is classed as substandard and unmortgageable, for those in the know, the term ‘mundic’ signals an opportunity to self-build.
“I 100% expected to demolish it,” says Kathleen. “But I assured the vendors we would respect the land. It had been a family home for generations.”
Kathleen initially sketched out her own designs for the home, which she then took to local expert Simon Boulton at the architecture practice Lilly Lewarne. Prioritising connectedness to the surrounding environment, Kathleen’s home has fie bedrooms and fie bathrooms in a 580 sqm property, spread across two levels. There’s a garage and an outdoor shower too, all set in enchanting ‘wrap-around’ gardens, which were created by local landscaper Glenn Humphries. “They really brought the garden to life,” says athleen. There are lots of wildowers and in spring and summer they are stunning.” Another priority for Kathleen was building with local, natural materials, including reclaimed Delabole slate and hardwoods. Yet despite both this approach and her willingness to
22
www.sbhonline.co.uk
communicate fully with the local community, including using leaets eplaining her plans Kathleen experienced some push-back against her plans. After working further with Simon to tweak her application to remove some windows and keep the rooine low the plans were granted permission. “Now, the village is very happy with what has been built,” says Kathleen. Within the permission, however, the planning department placed several conditions on the project, some of them fairly onerous. The most expensive of these was the requirement that Kathleen remove the top 600 mm of soil across the entire plot and replace it with soil from outside the area. This is a precaution against contamination from old tin and copper mines and is not an uncommon planning condition in Cornwall.
“The impact of removing all that soil, well it was a massive undertaking,” recalls Kathleen, confession struggles to understand the reasoning behind this requirement, given the agricultural nature of the surrounding landscape. “It’s one of the most unbelievable things I’ve ever seen.”
Rather than put the building contract out to tender athleen turned to a firm she had worked with before, Ridgwells Construction, which is based in Truro, Cornwall. “They’re an extraordinary team,” says Kathleen. “They’re detail-orientated, reliable and responsible.” She was as involved as possible, and says she thoroughly enjoyed it.
mar/apr 2024
KATHLEEN’S ADVICE
* “Get on top of utilities immediately.”
* “Don’t underestimate wayleave issues.”
* “Communication with the local community is
very important. I used leaets put through doors to explain what I was doing.”
* “Keep the design ‘clean’; let the light in.”
* “Don’t be scared to look for other treatments
to create texture and colour on walls.”
* “Respect the land and bring the outside in.”
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
