Whilst some clients have a design idea visualised in their heads from day one of how they would like to extend or alter their properties; equally, there are other clients who contact us to ask for our help. They are often unsure of what they require and need us to come up with potential design concepts to make their homes work better and more efficiently for them. This was the situation with our lovely clients in Woburn Sands; who contacted us on recommendation from a number of past clients, to discuss re-modelling and enlarging their two-bedroom cottage.
After an initial discussion, they took time out to go away and firm up exactly what they were trying to achieve from the design process. This allowed them to then come back to us with a clearer idea of what they needed. Having made the decision to go ahead; they thereby engaged us to generate some ideas for them on how to make their space work best within their budget.
Although it obviously helps when clients are clear about what they are trying to achieve, it is not unusual for us to help them clarify in their own minds exactly what they are trying to achieve from the design process. While our clients had clarified what their needs were and had developed some ideas of their own, they acknowledged that they had no prior experience in extending or modernising a house. They, therefore, needed an architectural design company to challenge their assumptions of what could actually work.
One clear problem they identified to us from the start was that the layout upstairs needed to be altered. They needed to be able to access all the rooms from the hallway instead of the current layout of having to go from one room to another. In addition, they also wanted to add a third bedroom with natural daylight and install a new family-sized bathroom. On the ground floor, they craved a more open-plan layout with a kitchen and family space that linked the downstairs space with the garden.
A very steep staircase needed some consideration; as to whether it could be either altered or relocated. We looked at the option of a loft conversion or two or three different layouts to achieve the third bedroom. A strong winner soon emerged which involved altering the ground floor layout to achieve the open plan layout they desired. This meant a first-floor extension would sit neatly over the top. Whilst a loft conversion would have been possible, it would not have worked out as financially economical.
When it came to the staircase re-design, we tried a few scenarios and again a strong contender soon emerged. Whilst there were a couple of issues during the building work; we were happy to help and advise the builder, as even experienced builders sometimes like a second opinion. Sadly, this is not always the case as not all builders are happy to declare their uncertainty over some aspects. This is a shame and we as a consultancy try to encourage builders to talk to us about any aspects that they are unsure of. It is always beneficial to foster a team spirit and both sides can learn from discussions on-site and use it for future reference. In this case, it involved the correct choice of roof tile for a modified roof pitch.
Following the building work, our clients are very happy to have moved in and have provided us with some photographs of their new home which we are always grateful for. We wish them well in their new extended, enlarged and improved home and look forward to visiting in the near future to see this great space for ourselves.
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