The Garden Room

The Malthouse is a grade 2 listed private house with stone walls and a thatched roof.

The Clients required a contemporary design solution that would create a room filled with daylight in which they could relax, drink coffee, listen to jazz, and be close to their garden. The main design challenges were:

a) Convincing the local authority that a contemporary form would be acceptable in this setting

b) Providing a viable area of additional floorspace without dominating the existing house

c) Juxtaposing old and new

d) Resolving the site levels (the site area was 900mm above the ground floor of the house).

The design was granted planning approval after being refined over a 3 year period in the planning process with the Council.

The building is cut into the slope of the site so as to appear low in its setting. The form is simple but carefully detailed. A green roof construction was chosen to be seen in the context of the garden risin
n front of it.

The external walls are faced with local ironstone which is cut and jointed to provide a subtle contrast to the stone on the house.

All glazing comprises low E sealed units in thermally broken powder coated aluminium frames, the glazed link between the house and extension carefully defines old and new.

The innovative lighting installation is designed by Ian Loader (one of the clients) comprising LED fittings the colours of which can be blended to suit the mood.

Overall the project has a low carbon footprint of only 3,190 Kg CO₂ PA and sustainability was considered in the specification of a Green Roof, low energy lighting, high technology glazing and high insulation levels.