CONTACTS/ SUPPLIERS


ARCHITECT Leaf Architecture & Design Ltd leaf-architecture.co.uk


MEP DESIGNER Environmental Services Design environmentalservicesdesign.co.uk


CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Hexa Consulting hexaconsulting.co.uk


ENERGY CONSULTANT Low Carbon Box www.lowcarbonbox.co.uk


HERITAGE CONSULTANT Montagu Evans www.montagu-evans.co.uk


BUILDER


Goscote Building Services goscotebuildingservices.co.uk


LANDSCAPE DESIGNER Chris Gutteridge Garden Design


chrisgutteridge.co.uk


LIGHTING DESIGNER 18 Degrees 18degs.com


FRONT, SIDE & BOOT ROOM ALUMINIUM DOORS + GARAGE Fortis Aluminium fortisal.co.uk


WINDOWS & SLIDING DOORS Sightline Aluminium Glazing Systems


sightlineltd.com


WINDOWS & CURTAIN WALL Queniborough Aluminium Services (QAS) www.q-a-s.co.uk


INTERNAL STEEL & GLASS DOORS (FIRE-RATED) RK Steel Systems rksteel.co.uk


STAIRCASE FABRICATION Metalways Ltd metalwaysltd.com


positively, satisfi ed that the design respected its context. With planning permission secured, the project went out to tender with contractors from Leaf’s recommended list, and Goscote Building Services was appointed. “Richard had worked with them before, which gave us confi dence, and they did an amazing job,” Sarah explains. The family had by now lived in the 1930s


dormer bungalow for 10 months and moved out so that demolition could begin. “The old place came down like a pack of cards,” Sarah recalls. Site clearance took place over the winter,


ready for foundations in spring, and as ground conditions in this part of Leicestershire are known for subsidence, the engineer specifi ed deep trench-fi ll footings throughout. We had 300 cubic metres of concrete poured over two days,” says Sarah. “It was incredible to see so much material going in just to create a base.” on works in the project management industry, albeit on far larger schemes, and was able to take charge of organising the build, with architect Richard continuing as an advisor throughout – collaborating closely on everything from the colour of the window frames to detailing the cloisters. Sarah also worked to source materials and fi nishes, such as internal doors and ironmongery, which their builder then purchased.


The brick and block walls rose steadily, supported by structural steelwork to create a frame for the steeply pitched roofs and large, open plan spaces. “The gables give real height upstairs without wasting space,” Sarah explains. “Our main bedroom is vaulted into the roof pitch with a full apex of glazing. I’ve always loved tall ceilings in older houses and didn’t want to compromise.”


Aluminium windows and sliding doors were installed in April 2024, bringing the structure to a watertight stage. Soon after, standing seam zinc was laid across the main roof with slates on the smaller wings that also accommodate solar panels. Charred timber cladding was fi xed last, altering the appearance of the house entirely. “Watching the cladding go on was a real high point,” says Sarah. “It looks almost black, but in sunlight through the trees it has a softness.” Bad weather proved the main cause of delay.


“We had the wettest December on record in 2023, and work slowed almost to a standstill, which was frustrating for the bricklayers,” recalls Sarah. The schedule therefore slipped by six weeks, yet the build still progressed from breaking ground to completion in just 13 months. The ground fl oor was built in beam and block for stability and thermal mass, with timber posi- joists above. Four 110-metre deep boreholes supply a ground source heat pump, which runs low-temperature water through the underfl oor heating for optimum effi ciency. Photovoltaic panels in the roof reduce


energy demand still further, while a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system serves the main living areas, removing the need for trickle vents in the large expanses of glazing. Lighting was designed by a lighting specialist and installed as a wireless Casambi system, controlled either from a phone or by discreet magnetic wall plates. The staircase was a joint design by Sarah and on, fabricated in black steel with oak treads. “We both had slightly different ideas, but combined them,” Sarah explains. She also turned to Instagram for interiors inspiration during the build, a way of simplifying choices


27


KITCHEN / DINING The kitchen is fi nished in black painted timber with slim quartz worktops, antique brass fi ttings and a brick wall containing a double-sided woodburning stove


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