Written by Pete Tonks – a Regional Architectural Designer within our Architectural Design team
I was introduced to John and Sue in the early Summer of 2011 by our Managing Director, Tim Crump and our Sales Director, David Grey. Both Tim and David were excited about this project and described the site as potentially one of the best they’d seen, which is always a good start to any project to get the creative juices flowing!
Recognising the potential of the plot
Occupied by a former residential agricultural training college, the site had also been used for many other purposes over the years. It comprised several outbuildings, including a detached structure which had the benefit of lawful use as a residential dwelling.
I visited the site and met with John and Sue to gain a personal feel for the space, which for me as a designer is crucial to the beginning of a successful design process.
The site is relatively flat for the first half, dramatically drops down about 2.5 to 3 metres initially and then dog-legs to the left into a dense woodland area of well over an acre which features a further drop in levels of around 5 to 7 metres. The site is also bordered on one side by a large reservoir which supports many species of local wildlife, and is rich in habitat and bio-diversity.
John and Sue had purchased the plot with the benefit of outline planning permission (OPP) which allowed for the construction of two residential dwellings. OPP on a site simply confirms the most basic of permissions with a number of issues being left unresolved at the time of permission being granted. These are known as ‘reserved matters.’
For this site, the reserved matters we were responsible for within the design and preparation of the application included siting, design, materials, appearance and landscaping. These are aspects we always deal with but the fact the site had OPP does take away some of the uncertainty in comparison to applying for a dwelling on perhaps a garden plot or a replacement dwelling scenario.
The architectural design process
Together, we established a basic set of parameters for the project which was to consist of two houses, one large garage or barn, and one other detached garage. Upon entering the site, a traditional Suffolk cottage would be the first building viewed which was to be tucked away into the tree-lined corner bordering the reservoir. This would also be the position for a detached double garage or carport with integral log store. The second larger and more adventurous dwelling was to then be set down further into John and Sue’s site in a more central position. Both dwellings were to be screened from each other by the large garage or barn.
The smaller of the dwellings is a long, three-bay cottage featuring open-plan contemporary ground floor spaces and two large bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, with all of the first floor spaces vaulted up into the roof. This design blends a classic combination of Suffolk vernacular detailing features, such as narrow mullion windows, soft render and timber boarding finishes, with more contemporary touches such as large oak framed glazing and dramatic roofscapes.
The planning application process
Having liaised with the previous planning officer, I was confident with our proposal and duly submitted John and Sue’s application in the early Autumn. We had some very minor modifications to make at the request of the planning officer, that were only relative to the position of the buildings. In all other respects they were very supportive of the proposals and praised their appropriateness to the location and character of the area. We received full planning approval first time round which was a fantastic result and one I’m very proud of.
This project was always going to be exciting and I have to say it has been one of my favourites. This is down to a combination of a great site in an area of the country that has classic vernacular architecture. John and Sue had also done their research into all aspects of self-building and had focused on how they wanted to approach the design process; using a designer who understands oak framing who can maximise the potential of a plot through knowledge of planning law, and how this can be interpreted to make the most of its potential.
I would like to congratulate John and Sue in gaining planning approval and also to thank them for the opportunity of working with them. Here at Oakwrights, we are over the moon with the outcome of this unique project (images of which can be viewed in the gallery below) and we’d like to wish them all the success in the future.
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