cedar-wrapped bungalow enriches bath conservation area
Forgeworks Architects has completed A House extension of a bungalow in Bath. Designed in collaboration with Celia McCarthy, founder of interior design practice Richardson Studio, the home transforms a poorly insulated shell dwelling...
This adventurous contemporary design has been achieved within a conservation area and in the context of a World Heritage Site. Perched on a private wooded hill side road in the outskirts of Bath with views directly over the city to Bristol, the Severn Estuary, and beyond to Monmouthshire, the house had not been renovated in decades and suffered from poor insulation and a palette of pastiche, low-quality materials. A fabric-first ethos This project reflects Forgeworks’ broader ethos: architecture as an act of stewardship. Their work begins not with a stylistic ambition but with a simple, strategic question – what already works? “A House of Wood Shingle exemplifies this ‘fabric first’ approach: rather than demolish, we chose to cloak the original structure in high-performance insulation and cedar shingles, retaining its thermal mass while delivering a visually unified, low-energy home,” explains Forgeworks founder Chris Hawkins. Spatial drama from modest moves This strategic modesty yields unexpected richness. Forgeworks inverted the existing roof pitch to create a distinctive architectural silhouette, restrained from the street, yet generously scaled inside. Lofts were incorporated into the existing volume to add drama, including a double-height hallway and a mono-pitched kitchen-dining room. The result is a quiet exterior that conceals layered complexity within, echoing Forgeworks’ belief that good design reveals itself gradually. Client trust played a central role in shaping the design. “Forgeworks took
our collection of precedents ideas and translated our vision into a design focused on energy efficiency, preserving the building’s original structure,” says McCarthy. “They truly grasped how we wanted to live and created a design that balanced form and function, turning our home into a beautiful, practical space.”
Images: French & Tye
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