britain’s best selling self-build magazine homebuilding ... · upfront 14 homebuilding &...

HOMEBUILDINGRENOVATING

homebuilding.co.uk January 2009 £3.99

p24

p66

p48

p113

p94

p84

p103

Inside Britain’sBest New Homes

From Affordable Self-builds to Remarkable Renovations

PLUS: Beginner’s Guide to Self-build | 100s of Plots for Sale | GaragesRoof Detailing | Build Cost Calculator | DIY Renovation Techniques 9 770960 086260

01

Britain’s Best Selling Self-Build Magazine

HOMEBUILDINGRENOVATING

homebuilding.co.uk January 2009 £3.99

FASTGREENCLEAN

SpecialAwardsIssue!

TIMBER FRAMEWhy it’s More Popular Than EverTIMBER FRAMEWhy it’s More Popular Than Ever

FASTGREENCLEAN

SELF-BUILDSHow to build a contemporary

home on a budget

RENOVATIONSExtending and remodelling

a terraced house

CONVERSIONSCreating a family home

from an old workshop

SELF-BUILDSHow to build a contemporary

home on a budget

RENOVATIONSExtending and remodelling

a terraced house

CONVERSIONSCreating a family home

from an old workshop

FOLDING SLIDING DOORSEXPERT BUYER’S GUIDEGLASS BALUSTRADINGCONTEMPORARY INTERIORDESIGN SOLUTIONSBIOMASS BOILERSTHE ULTIMATE IN ZEROCARBON HEATING?

FOLDING SLIDING DOORSEXPERT BUYER’S GUIDEGLASS BALUSTRADINGCONTEMPORARY INTERIORDESIGN SOLUTIONSBIOMASS BOILERSTHE ULTIMATE IN ZEROCARBON HEATING?

Britain’s Best Selling Self-Build Magazine

&&HO

MEBU

ILDIN

G&

RENO

VATING

JAN

UA

RY2009

!A

ward

Winners

Revealed!

TimberFram

e!

Biomass

Boilers!

FoldingSliding

Doors

Jan 09 Cover FINAL:Layout 1 22/1/09 10:53

Upfront

14 Homebuilding & Renovating

Meet Our Winners

This year’s OverallWinner will enjoy afabulous break,including dinner andspa treatment, atWhatley Manor.Whatley Manor is aprivate Grade II listed

Cotswolds Manor House hotel with an overridingaura of understated luxury and style, set within12 acres of timeless English gardens with 26distinct areas combining traditional andcontemporary designs, nestling in the naturalbeauty of the Wiltshire countryside. WhatleyManor offers 15 rooms and eight suites, with tworestaurants overseen by Michelin starred chefMartin Burge. Whatley Manor is a member ofRelais & Châteaux, the collection of the world’sfinest restaurants and hotels.whatleymanor.com

This year our Overall Winner is the self-built home of Glyn and JaneMartin of Devon. It was our unanimous choice because this is acontemporary home of the finest standard, displaying close attention todetail and a brilliant awareness of how to make the most of the site —credit for which must go to Glyn and Jane’s architect daughter, Annie. Notonly that, but Glyn and Jane had spent the best part of two years on site,living in the existing timber frame bungalow that their new home wouldeventually replace, getting involved in all aspects of the project on a DIYbasis, and resulting in excellent value for money considering the quality ofthe project. The home also displayed excellent green credentials.

Our Overall Winner (See 4)

HOMEBUILDINGRENOVATING&

AWARDS 2008M A G A Z I N E

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

This year’s Daily Telegraph Home-building & Renovating Awards scheme– the premier competition for self-built, renovated or converted homes inthe UK – garnered the highest ever

quality of entries. Homes included everything fromlarge traditional manor houses to imaginativeremodelling schemes of much smaller properties.Choosing the winners – all of which the judgingteam visited in person – was not easy. Projects werejudged on a range of criteria. These included:

! Level of input by the self-builders or renovators! Design flair and creative vision! Value for money! Suitability of the design for the homeowners! Overall quality of architectural design! Quality of interior fittings and finishings! Sensibility to the individual site and location

The winners presented on these pages – five ofwhich we look at in full in this month’s issue, withthe rest being featured in upcoming editions – areall outstanding examples in their individualcategories. Thanks to everyone who entered. If youhave a project you’d like to enter next year, email uswith your details to [email protected] ‘Awards 2009’ in the subject box.

We announce the results of The Daily TelegraphHomebuilding & Renovating Awards 2008

Glyn and Jane Martin have DIY-built an amazing family home

The Prize

KdB has created sustainable insulation –– a new wayof looking at home insulation through use of theglobal insulation system. A building which is notproperly insulated loses up to a third of its heat energy through its walls alone,significantly adding to the cost of heating and tangibly increasing the property’scarbon footprint. To allow owners to protect their property to the higheststandard for the longest possible time, while also preserving the environment,KdB’s global insulation system incorporates Airflex Superpose reflective thermalbarriers made from a semi-rigid compound with a total nominal thickness of10mm, which provide maximal, long-lasting insulation for all types of buildings.The Airflex components are welded together on each end and down the centreof the panel to form a semi-rigid sheath with excellent thermodynamicproperties. When Airflex is combined with 120mm of glass fibre wool it achievesa U-value of 0.20, providing a lifetime of effective protection from winter coldand summer heat for year-round thermal stability. kdb-isolation.com

The Main Sponsor

Upfront jan 2009:News May 06 22/1/09 10:52 Page 14

Readers’ HomesHOME OF THE YEAR


Our Home of Year is more than just a spectacular design— Glyn and Jane Martin’s contemporary, eco-friendly newhouse is entirely at one with the landscape, and was a truefamily affair, with everyone pitching in to lend a hand

Words: Debbie Jeffery Photography: Nigel Rigden

HOMEBUILDINGRENOVATING&

AWARDS 2008M A G A Z I N E

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

category sponsored by

Cliffhanger

CONTEMPORARYHOME

category sponsored by

BEST VALUEFOR MONEY

OVERALL WINNER


Readers’ Homes HOME OF THE YEAR

For Annie Martin and her younger brothers,Will and Joe, Seacombe will always holdfond memories of childhood holidays andlong, hot summers spent playing on thenearby beach. Back then, however, their

parents’ seaside holiday home in East Portlemouth,Devon, was little more than a timber shack with acorrugated tin roof and absolutely no mod cons — afar cry from its newly built successor.

Glyn and Jane Martin were initially attracted to theproperty’s totally secluded setting and the incrediblesea views which may be enjoyed from its elevated 1.5-acre site. Accessed by an unassuming stone track offthe lane between East Prawle and East Portlemouth itstands above sandy Seacombe beach in an Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty, with spectacular coastalscenery spreading out below.

“We loved spending time at the house, despite thefact that it was literally falling down, with just a

FACT FILENAMES: Glyn and Jane Martin

PROFESSIONS: Artist and teacher

AREA: Devon

HOUSE TYPE: Three bedroom contemporaryhouse

HOUSE SIZE: 200m2

BUILD ROUTE: DIY and subcontractors

FINANCE: Private and mortgage

CONSTRUCTION: Blockwork ground floor;timber and steel framed first floor; zinc roof

BUILD TIME: May ’06 – Sept ‘08

LAND VALUE: £300,000

BUILD COST: £350,000

TOTAL COST: £650,000

CURRENT VALUE: £1,200,000

COST/m2: £1,750

46%COST

SAVING

ABOVE AND OPPOSITE:Seacombe stands alone inopen countryside and isembedded into the hillside —appearing single storey fromthe driveway, where a bridgeleads across to the cedar-cladrear entrance. Glyn (LEFT) andhis wife, Jane, commissionedtheir architect daughter,Annie, to design the structure

!

generator for electricity, gas lighting, no phone androtten floors,” Annie, now 31, recalls. “My parentsoriginally bought it at auction more than 20 years ago,and over time we extended the 1930s chalet and did itup on a DIY basis.”

Years passed, and when Annie qualified as anarchitect the family began to consider the possibility ofreplacing their old single storey holiday home with anew dwelling, specifically designed to take fulladvantage of the south-facing panoramic views and toprovide more comfortable accommodation.

“With no near neighbours we hoped the plannerswould allow us to build something contemporary,”explains Jane, “but we’re surrounded by National Trustland and there was a covenant which restricted theheight of the property, so there were numerous hurdlesto overcome before our plans were finally approvedafter about a year of negotiations.”

In order to reduce the impact of the new two storeybuilding it has been positioned further back on the siteand the ground floor was excavated into an existingsteep bank. The garage is constructed so that itsplanted roof is a continuation of the boundary bank— ensuring that the house only comes into view fromthe track near the entrance gate.

From the north and west it appears to be a modestbungalow, accessed from the driveway by crossing atimber bridge to the cedar-clad entrance. Walk inside,



Why it WonIt wasn’t just the site that swayed the judges — spectacular though it was. Any oldhouse wouldn’t have made such perfect use of this unique and awe-inspiring setting sothe plaudits have to go to the architect — Glyn and Jane’s daughter Annie. Gettingcoastal homes right isn’t easy — the traditional design solution is to go for an ‘upside-down’ layout but this usually sacrifices the bedrooms to be small, poky and dark. Here,every room feels like it’s outside and it’s something that works with the site rather thanrailing against it. This wasn’t simply a spectacular design on an awesome site, but areal gritty self-build story, and a family affair at that. Glyn and Jane spent many harddays on site themselves and that mix of contemporary craft, sustainability and DIYwork is very rare, especially in a design of this quality. We also got the distinctimpression that this is a home that would be as cosy in winter as it would be serene onsummer nights. We don’t know why Glyn and Jane should feel luckier — having ahouse like this to use when they feel like it or an architect like Annie on tap!

“We wanted to reference the originalbuilding, such as with the timber boarding”

ABOVE AND OPPOSITE: Theground floor has beenconstructed in renderedblockwork with a cedar-cladtimber framed first floor andlarge areas of south-facingglazing

!


however, and the true nature of the house reveals itself,with huge windows and glazed balconies offeringstunning sea views.

Three bedrooms are located on the first floor withtwo en suites and a family bathroom, which take fulladvantage of the elevated view. The two main bedroomsboth have recessed balconies, which provide shelteredexternal areas as well as helping to reduce the apparentweight of the first floor by cutting away the corners.

An oak staircase leads downstairs from the mainentrance to the spacious living area and a large privatewalled garden beyond. Finishes are luxurious, with oakand limestone floors, underfloor heating and an airpurification system. There’s wi-fi throughout, abespoke kitchen and a state-of-the-art cinemaconcealed behind a wheeled ‘bookcase’ door.

“My brothers insisted on a cinema as part of thebrief, and we liked the idea of building it within asecret room because the old bungalow had a bedroomextension which could be accessed through a doorway

31Homebuilding & Renovating

!

“Our plans were finally approved afterabout a year of negotiations”

Made to a bespoke design from solidfumed oak, with black African granitework surfaces, the open plan kitchenbenefits from a walk-in larder

A bespoke oak, steel and glass foldedstaircase leads down into the openplan dining space, casting rainbowsonto the white walls as the sun tracksaround the house

!

hidden inside a cupboard,” says Annie. “We wanted tokeep some references to the original building, such asthe external timber boarding, and to choose materialswhich would be in sympathy with the site.”

The ground floor of the new building is embeddedinto the bank and has been constructed in solidrendered masonry, with the first floor structure in steeland timber, clad with untreated horizontal cedarboarding. Large areas of glazing are restricted to thesouth façade and durable zinc was chosen for themonopitch roof which will weather to aninconspicuous matt grey.

“My partner, Mark, is a carpenter who worked full-time on site during the build, so we decided to moveinto the old timber bungalow and lived there for 18months while the new house was completed,” recallsAnnie. “It wasn’t too bad during the summer, but inthe winter it became really cold and damp, and wewere glad to move out in the end.”



study living

dining

store larder

kitchen

bedroom bedroom bedroom

bath

en suite

terrace terrace

Linking to the LandscapeOn the ground floor, a striking contemporary staircase with a glass wall leads down tothe open plan kitchen/dining room and neighbouring living room, where a bookcase doorreveals the secret cinema. Doors from the kitchen/dining room open into a larder, WCand store to the rear of the house. A bridge leads to the first floor entrance, where threebedrooms, two en suites and a family bathroom are located. The spacious landing areaacts as a suntrap conservatory leading out onto a terrace, with steps down to thegarden, and two of the bedrooms have their own covered balconies

Ground Floor

First Floor

The double bed in the masterbedroom was custom made andenjoys panoramic views and sunrisesthrough full-height glazing whichopens onto a sheltered balcony

!

Jane and Glyn purchased a caravan so that they toocould stay on site and be involved in the build process,with Jane taking a year out from teaching in a furthereducation college. Building was largely completed on aDIY basis with subcontractors used to excavate the site,erect the steel frame and clad the roof with zinc. Aglazier, electrician and plumber were also employed.

“As children we’d helped to do up the old bungalow,painting windows and getting involved, and here wewere all working together again on its replacement,”says Annie. “In summer it was fantastic to be outdoorsin such a beautiful setting, but winter was a verydifferent story in such an exposed location, and theweather could be quite wild.”

Access onto the site was also problematic, and at onestage it was left to Annie to drag a stranded Jewsonlorry out of the muddy field using a tractor.

Progress was slower than expected, whichencouraged Glyn, with help from the rest of the family,to tackle even more of the work — including installingthe ground-source heating, tanking the blockwork,plasterboarding, cladding the retaining perimeter wallswith stone, landscaping and much more.

Mark undertook the carpentry work while Jane helpedout with insulating, applying anti-corrosion agents tothe steel, decorating and replanting the garden.

Stone excavated from the site has been recycled andused for garden and garage walling, a ground-sourceheat pump from Kensa is employed for the underfloorheating and a ventilation heat exchange provides clean,warm air throughout the heavily insulated house.

“I’m particularly pleased with how well theoverhanging roof shades the glass in summer, and yetstill allows the lower winter sun to warm the rooms,”says Annie. “The ground floor is largely underground,so this also helps to keep the space at a fairly constanttemperature throughout the year.”

It was Glyn who ordered many of the materials,negotiating hard for the best possible prices, whileAnnie obtained quotes from various subcontractorsand Jane kept detailed financial records. “There was nodesignated project manager, we all worked welltogether,” says Glyn, an artist.

35Homebuilding & Renovating

Readers’ HomesHOME OF THE YEAR

“The ground floor is largely underground which helps tokeep it at a constant temperature throughout the year”

ABOVE: A sliding partition (notshown) divides the living roomfrom the dining kitchen; theIberian limestone flooring iscontinued outsideRIGHT: The dark-grey cinemaroom is concealed behind asecret door in the main livingspace (the handle positionedin a fake book, with anappropriate title) and hasbeen furnished withcomfortable seating, a 106”screen with surround soundand a high-definition projector

!

USEFUL CONTACTS: Architect Annie Martin: 01626 773813 Steel frame Torr View Forge:01548 521445 Carpentry MY Carpenter: 01626 773813 Olsen sliding glazed door system SWS:01777 871847 Zinc roof supply Rheinzink: 01276 686725 Roofing contractor A&S RoofingSystem: 07976 417245 Ground-source heat pump (supply only) Kensa Engineering Ltd: 01326377627 Underfloor heating (supply only) Radiant Heating Solutions: 01400 250572 Kitchen,windows, front door New British Design: 01363 777004 Ironmongery South Western Supplies:01626 333900 Glass Paignton Glass Works: 01803 558096 Heat exchange ventilation systemVent-Axia: 0844 856 0590 Structural engineer Nicholls Basker Partners: 01626 776121Sanitaryware Ideal Standard: 01482 346461 Seacombe is available for holiday rental:seacombe-devon.co.uk

“Annie worked on site on Mondays, and her detailedplans were consulted to solve every issue. We werenervous about working with our daughter on aprofessional level, but we’ve been highly impressedwith her abilities and, if anything, it has strengthenedour relationship.”

With the new Seacombe completed the old timberbungalow could finally be demolished in accordancewith planning conditions. At last the Martins are ableto enjoy the beautiful coastal setting all year round,retreating to the sheltered balconies and first floorlanding ‘lookout’ during particularly inclementweather.

Annie has recently given birth to her and Mark’s firstbaby, Leah, and can already envisage history repeatingitself. “It’s lovely to think that Leah will enjoy the samekind of seaside holidays that we did as children, andwe will look forward to spending time at Seacombewith the family,” she says. “Building the house hascertainly brought us all closer, and it’s been rewardingto think just how much of the work we managed tocomplete ourselves.”



How They Did it

1. The steel frame structure iserected on the foundations.2. The roof structure takes shape,with timber beams providingsupport.3. Glyn and Jane spent the best partof two years on site, handling muchof the labour themselves.4. The new house begins toovershadow the existing bungalow.5. The existing bungalow is thenknocked down and the space is usedfor the extensive patio.6. Glyn laid the stone wall himself,following it round to the garage (seelarge image above).

1 3 5

2 4 6

britain’s best selling self-build magazine homebuilding ... · upfront 14 homebuilding &...

Documents