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Hooray for Southernhay!
We love being involved in local projects – especially when they’re on our doorstep. Over the past month the LSA team have been working hard on a new development here at Southernhay West. One of the wonderful Georgian style Grade II* Listed townhouse is having a revamp and we couldn’t be more excited to get this beautiful building up and running again.
By January 2020, Number Nine will have five floors of luxury office space with full infrastructure for 21st century businesses to work from.
Externally this project contains a great deal of heritage, although sadly like many of the buildings on Southernhay it has lost a lot of its historic detail internally. Throughout our design work here at LSA we were sensitive to this, adding back period doors and details where possible. The internal building work is underway and the site team are doing a sterling job. Below shows the current state of the building. Working closely with our clients, who also own the stunning Southernhay House hotel, we are creating an exciting new scheme for the interiors with high quality materials and fittings. We have also submitted a Listed Buildings application for some improvements to the exterior.
The refurbishment aims bring the spaces up to date. With brighter, well designed, high quality spaces the client hopes to entice businesses with the opportunity to work from this unique building.
Look out for the progress pictures!
Transforming a building which transforms lives…
Since our last post on the Salvation Army, the project has made great progress and exciting things have been happening. We are eager to share the next stage of our work, as the team here at LSA have been working hard with their design caps on. From exterior to interior, the design process is now well underway for the redesign of Friars’ Walk.
In our previous post, we highlighted the importance of the building’s history and how the Salvation Army has had a great impact on our society here in Exeter. Friars’ Walk is home to a thriving community, and we believe that the people at Salvation Army are taking the right steps towards the future of this building.
We knew from the outset that the interior spaces required a high-quality design strategy, and we intended each space to bring something new and different to the renovation of this building. This raised a range of considerations, from the function of each space down to the quality of finishes used. The style of design had to be sympathetic to the building’s past, but also needed to enhance and be conducive to modern life. The renovation is partly intended to act as a means of attracting people to use the building, and better appreciate all it has to offer. Opening up the interior spaces allows the building to be versatile, in keeping with its use as a site of varied activities. Below are some of our initial 3D views of the new interior spaces:
First Floor area from double height space
The future is looking bright for Friars’ Walk. We feel privileged to be working with the Salvation Army, and hope that we can offer them something special which will keep their community thriving. This is only the start – so stay on the lookout for updates on what unfolds next!
Restoring Historic Buildings – Conservation Philosophy
We believe that when restoring historic buildings, it is extremely important to maintain the original character of the building. We want to keep the history of the building at the forefront of our minds and respect it. We recently read “New Design for Old Buildings” by Roger Hunt and Iain Boyd and found their Conservation Philosophy a fantastic set of guidelines to keep in mind when re-designing historic buildings. Here are the basic principles:
Making Historic Buildings Energy Efficient – Roofs
The roof of a historic building is one of it’s most striking features and may have survived in a remarkably unchanged for condition for many centuries.
Roof Structure
Unless there has been substantial water leakage, the roof structure will usually be in good condition. This is often due to the generous amount of ventilation in historic buildings and their roof-spaces. Even though a historic building may generate a lot of internal moisture, some of which finds its way into the roof, it is quickly removed. Th moisture-buffering effect of the large amounts of hydroscopic material n many historic buildings ca also be helpful.
Pitched Roofs with Ventilated Roof Spaces
For traditional roofs with “cold” roof-spaces ventilated by outside air, it will often be possible to lay insulation over ceilings or between floor joists in the conventional manner.
Air infiltration into the roof-space from below should be reduced. In particular, holes around pipes, ducts and cable routes should be closed up, especially when they lead to areas of high humidity. Even then, some air and water vapour from the building will still get in. Because the extra insulation makes the roof-space colder than before in winter, the risk of dampness and condensation may increase, particularly if ventilation is limited or poor distributed.
It is essential to understand the likely effect of insulation and ventilation on the existing fabric and internal environment of the roof space, rather than to introduce additional ventilation gratuitously.
If you’ve decided to have convert the roof space into a room, a 50mm ventilation path is recommended beneath the roof finish, insulation, vapour control layer and an internal lining.
Most historic flat roofs are covered with lead, a few are clad in zinc or copper. Repairs and replacements using bitumastic (protective coating for metals) materials and felts have been widely used. Flat roofs show a wide variety of designs, although most are akin to the ‘cold roof’
Roofing Materials
Tile, stone and slate roofs used to be laid without sarking felts (An additional layer within a roof that insulates or reflects heat), although sarking boards boards were occasionally used.
Re-roofing now almost always includes underfelts to allow the work to take place in bad weather. Vapour-permeable materials are most popular. However, even these materials reduce air movement and alternative provision for ventilation may be necessary, though designed ‘breathing’ construction is now becoming possible.
Insulating foam is sometimes sprayed onto the underside of tiles and slates and sets into a hard layer. However, they are not recommended for historic buildings because jeu prevent the slates and tiles being salvaged during the next re-roofing. This is because the tiling battens and the upper parts of the rafters are sealed in, which may lead to rotting and premature degradation, because the normal flow of air into the roof space is restricted. Thatching provides one of the best natural insulators and should not need further insulation.
Taken from Energy Efficiency and Historic Buildings – English Heritage
Restoring traditional farm buildings
Living in living space
We are excited to announce that we have a new development at Living Space Architects. Our talented work force has increased by another member who will bring something extra to the team…you guessed it – interiors!
After 15 successful years of running LSA, our directors have decided to include interior design within the package we offer our wonderful clients. We have always had a passion for interiors, so employing a specialist and expanding into this world seemed like a natural step forward.
We hope to finish off our bespoke architecture with a bespoke interior, working with our clients to give them a space that truly suits their aspirations.
OUR INTERIORS •
Despite only recently appointing a designated interior designer, we have dabbled in interior design in the past, and we like to think we have done a pretty good job. Below are some details and inspiration from our recently-completed Southernhay extension project.
Location: Southernhay, Exeter
Building: Grade II listed terrace townhouse
Proposal: A new first floor rear extension for domestic use
Interior Brief: The interior specifications asked for a urban, contemporary, soft, sleek space which would compliment the new extension. The space had to be homely as it would occupy 3 bedrooms, an open kitchen, a living room space and a few more exciting spaces.
Key Features: New aluminium-framed windows in existing extension | New single glazed timber sash windows | New roof terrace | New bin enclosure & cycle racks | New & adapted internal openings & partitions
INPSIRATION •
URBAN | CONTEMPORARY | WOOD | SOFT | SCANDINAVIAN | SLEEK | CITY | RUSTIC | GEOMETRIC
THE FINISHED PRODUCT •
Our photographs show snippets of Southernhay’s interior space. The inspiration images provided a good starting point for the design style, but it needed developing to ensure harmony within the building. The main staircase, which is primarily wooden, set the tone. From that, we decided to add more colour into the design – complimenting the wooden features but still showcasing the sleek, contemporary look.
GET THE LOOK •
Like this style? Below are our final key design components. The products are sourced from a range of suppliers, showcasing local independent shops and online brands.
• Sofa – Made.com £599
• Radio – Marley Speakers £179.99
• Bookcase – Cult Furniture £629
• Plant – BloomBox £18
• Leather Chair – Capital Dining Chairs £97
• Wooden Basket – Nkuku £59.95
• Champagne Glasses – Anthropologie £14
• Paint – Farringdonball
• Throw – Zara £50
• Cushion – Lorna Ruby £39.95
• Lamp – The Forest & Co £93.60
• Print – Desinio
• Black Pendant – John Lewis £120
• Floor Lamp – Made.com £129 Cheaper Option Dunelm £75
How to upgrade windows in historic buildings
Windows are often considered to be “The eyes of the building” and this phrase is even more true in the case of historical buildings. They create the character of the building and changing these when attempting to modernise historical buildings should be approached with care.
Historic windows
Much of the plain glass and most, if not all, of the coloured glass used in England during the medieval period was imported from the continent and therefore prohibitively expensive for widespread domestic use. By the late medieval period and into the 17th century, windows became more sophisticated with wooden tracery, moulded mullions and deep projecting cills. As glass was no longer quite as expensive it started to be used for ordinary domestic buildings.
In historic buildings, windows, and the depths of their frames, give the elevation of the building it’s character.
Often windows in historical buildings are single glazed and a common way to retain heat in a historic building is to change the glazing of the building to double glazing. However, this often means changing the depth and width of the frame and thus impacting the charm of the building.
What are the alternatives to double glazing?
There are several manufacturers who provide alternatives to thick double glazing.
Pilkington Spacia consists of an outer pane of low-emissivity glass and an inner pane of clear float, with a vacuum rather than air or another gas in between. The result is better thermal performance from a unit only fractionally as thick as a standard one.
Slimlite units are constructed with a clear outer self cleaning pane with a selected cavity of 3mm to 10mm, the wider cavity increases the insulation, with selected cavity insulating inert gas, which only performs in smaller cavities, an inner pane of 3mm or 4mm Low Emissivity glass.The emissivity coating is on the inside face into the cavity and reflects the long wave radiation or heat back into the room. The warm edge technology perimeter spacer incorporated, ensures insignificant differential insulation value between edge and centre glass.
Designing your house to keep cool this summer
Summer is just around the corner! If this summer is anything like last year, we’re guaranteed some hot weather and sunshine. There’s nothing worse than sitting in a boiling hot house when the weather is so great outside. Therefore, here are some design tips to consider when looking at designs for your new build to keep your house cool in the summer.
2. The thermal mass of your building will also contribute to the heating and cooling of the building. During summer it absorbs heat during the day and releases it by night to cooling breezes or clear night skies, keeping the house comfortable. In winter the same thermal mass can store the heat from the sun or heaters to release it at night, helping the home stay warm.
3. Utilise cross-ventilation in your home. Cross ventilation is a natural or planned process where cold air displaces warmer air, therefore creating a light breeze. This can be achieved by opening windows at opposite ends of the house and using a fan to direct the flow of air.
4. Consider the use of porches to shade south-facing windows
5. Geo-thermal heating and cooling is another excellent way to regulate temperatures in your home with out installing air conditioning
How will Brexit impact my build?
Unfortunately, the time has come for us to write an article about Brexit… The lingering shadow over the UK and the EU that seems to be taking longer than watching paint dry.
Brexit is at the forefront of many people’s minds and there is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen in the future. Uncertainty has lead to a decline in the housing market in the UK, with many buyers and sellers holding off doing anything with their properties until there is a little more security around the future of the UK. Whatever the outcome, Brexit (or no Brexit) will have a huge impact on the industry.
Construction contributes around 10% of world GDP, employs 7% of the global workforce, and consumes around 20% of the world’s energy. The construction industry is so important, it is widely seen as the best indicator of a national economy’s health.
What will the impacts be on the industry if we leave the EU?
In Summary…
If we leave the EU, the biggest impact will be on the availability of a workforce for construction, as such a large proportion of construction workers come from the EU. It has the potential to lead to a skills shortage catastrophe and means the government needs to look into new ways of improving skills amongst the UK population, for example, through apprenticeships funding. It will also mean we will need to find materials from elsewhere around the world or strike a significant trade deal with the EU. On the other hand, it also has the potential to decrease the amount of red tape that impacts the building of new homes in the UK.
The latest from Living Space Architects – 29/3/19
The team have had a great couple of weeks. They have been kept very busy with lot’s of work in the pipeline!
Contemporary Barn Conversion in West Hill
We have been working on creating some fantastic images for a contemporary barn conversion in West Hill. In the image you can see we are trying to create a more open plan space, experimenting with different ways we can allow natural light into the space.
Kirsty applies for her Conservation Architect Status through RIBA!
Kirsty has been working extremely hard to apply for her official Conservation Architect status through RIBA.
Receiving “Conservation Architect” status means that RIBA accredits her to have an in- depth knowledge and experience of working with historic buildings.
Within this application Kirsty is submitting 4 papers reflecting the range of work areas a conservation architect undertakes, in which, she has used examples of some of her incredible work.
One of the projects Kirsty has written about is the extensive refurbishment and alteration project of what was originally a medieval hall longhouse in Dartmoor. The refurbishment and extension of the property won the Conservation Award in 2017 from The Devon Historic Buildings Trust!
3D scanning at a site visit in Langport
Although thy had a chilly start to the morning, Freya and Stuart came back with some awesome 3D scans from a site visit in Langport.