An extensive residential renovation project. Bayford Grange is a Grade II Listed Georgian country house that has been completely renovated with a new landscape garden. The expansive Constable-like views over a lake are the main focus of the design, both internally and externally. A sophisticated renewable energy design integrates solar hot water and photovoltaics with energy efficient measures including whole house heat recovery ventilation, solar glazing and insulation. Underfloor heating, installed throughout the house, creates a warm and welcoming environment. An electric car charging point and a rainwater collection system provides off grid utilities. Raised beds provide rabbit free areas to grow vegetables. The design of the fire pit, with its west facing aspect, creates a cosy retreat within the formal bedding. An outdoor kitchen links the pool house with the main house with a dining terrace. A turntable bin design enables recycled waste bins to be put out at a touch of a button. New water features create individual character to a number of key outdoor spaces.
The historic nature of the house has been enhanced with newly panelled rooms and polished plaster walls. A special environmentally friendly graphene based lime paint creates a depth of colour responsive to the slightest change in light quality. The dining area has been redesigned with a Georgian style vault. A slotted roof light above the dining table adds drama and natural daylight, with shafts of light penetrating the room. A fully equipped basement cinema room provides a unique environment to experience 3D and 2D installations. The complex 21st century technology works invisibly, controlling light, heat and ambience which can be controlled remotely from anywhere in the world.
Modern Living
Sharp Place is an architect developer scheme of 10 houses. The six new four bedroom houses at 1-6 Sharp Place are designed and built to very high standards. Located a few minutes walk away from Flitwick mainline stations with direct connections to London St Pancras. These modern houses are future proofed with air source heat pumps and high levels of insulation which means they are very economic to heat and run. Corner glazed windows create a dynamic kitchen diner and the generous hallway leads into a fully glazed living room. The fully fitted modern kitchens have branded integrated appliances. Bathrooms are modern with built in cupboards and porcelain tiling. Generous windows give expansive views of the countryside and the River Flit. The attic floor has an open plan 2x double bedroom ideal for a home office. The houses are great value for family life or retired living.
Designed for outdoor living and indoor luxury.
The Haven is an upside down house with upper floor living spaces enjoying expansive views over the Hertfordshire countryside. It replaces an old bungalow on the edge of Cromer Village in the shadow of a historic windmill. The first floor terrace has an BBQ kitchen to encourage outdoor living – combining fine dining with birdwatching in one fell swoop. Below lie the murmuring springs of the River Beane and the landscaping around the ponds and streams are all being cleared and replanted to encourage diverse flora and fauna. Bedrooms have their own garden spaces on the ground floor with views over the lake with its busy quackery of ducklings. A specially designed wellie washing station reduces mud and dirt creeping into the house. The house has been designed with super eco features including heat recovery ventilation and thermal clay blocks. It is wired with the latest digital control infrastructure enabling all the services to be remotely controlled and providing comprehensive security.
This project is a perfect example of an innovative yet sympathetic residential conversion by Sharp Architects. The 1847 Methodist Chapel in Branston fell into disuse and was badly converted into very long and narrow units with ill-proportioned rooms. The centre two units have been consolidated and the heart of the Chapel transformed into a spectacular home in a historic setting with a modern twist. Blood red quartz worktops in the kitchen create a vibrant environment for cooking and casual dining. A solid oak screen with stained glass panels separates the formal dining area from the kitchen. A new fireplace creates a focus in the living room and a new beautifully crafted staircase with walnut treads leads to the bedrooms above.
Our extensive experience in creative residential refurbishments allowed us to transform this tiny dark and dingy Victorian terrace house into a light, airy and spacious home. Refurbished as a rental property it consistently achieves good rental incomes for the owner. An innovative new staircase doubles as a utility area for a washing machine and fridge freezer. A new wet room is lit with a daylight tube and makes clever use of space. The kitchen is tucked away so that the views to the patio and garden are unimpeded, making the outside and inside spaces flow seamlessly. The modern refurbishment respects the older Victorian shell. From the exterior the house appears very ordinary, but opening the front door is like going in to Wonderland. A series of unexpected spaces unfold as you are drawn to the rear garden.
Originally two tiny farm labourer’s cottages, this Victorian house was knocked into one with extensions in every direction. The resultant warren of disconnected spaces had two large north facing conservatories latched on, separating the living room and kitchen from the garden. Through ingenious design, north facing rooms were given a westerly aspect and are now flooded with sunlight in the afternoon. Conservatories were removed to create a direct connection between the living spaces and the garden. At the core of the house is the kitchen, which now has magnificent views of the landscaped patios, terraces and lawns beyond. Upstairs, a new master-bathroom has been designed with a domed roof light making it feel as though you are bathing en plein air. The house has been fully insulated with external insulation to the walls, under floor and loft, and has new triple glazed windows, all leading to very low heating bills. The house has had a new lease of life, is filled with sun, light and air, has magnificent views of the countryside.
This large rambling house full of small dark damp rooms, corridors, toilets and a lot of wasted space has been completely transformed. The main features of the house have been brought back and the central hall opened up so that light pours in from the north and the south. The new open plan kitchen at the rear of the house was created by amalgamating two rooms and relocating the staircase to the rear (far north). There are now dramatic views through to the magnificent new garden with a natural swimming pool. The living and dining rooms now have direct access to the patio and gardens. Refurbished fireplaces and chandeliers add a touch of class. On the upper floor, new en-suites have been slotted in so as to retain the prop of the original rooms. The clients love their new home. A dowdy old tired building has been transformed into a stylish full of sun, light and air.
A perfect example of clever residential architecture and design, this daringly modern glass pool house was designed in the grounds of a Grade II Listed Building. Designed as a ‘diving board’ with service rooms at one end and a fully glazed facade at the other, the pool house and external lap pool are well integrated in to the landscape. Vistas through the pergola run uninterrupted through the building and views from inside the structure are expansive. The connection with nature is dynamic and vital. The pool house provides an ideal springboard to entertain and enjoy the landscaped gardens.