Renovation designed around a young family in St Albans

Project Year: 2019
Country: United Kingdom
Postcode: St Albans, Hertfordshire

The most important aspect of this project in St Albans, was to develop the house around the needs of Gabriel and Angela’s young family, providing a hub for the whole family to enjoy. The proposed project involved reconfiguring and improving the existing ground floor, ensuring it was more user friendly for a child with limited mobility. This was achieved through a large single storey rear extension and re-arrangement to the key circulation spaces. This provided a large, stunning open plan kitchen, dining and living room space. The large bi-fold doors that open from the living room onto the rear garden and lead to a new terraced area.

Model Projects were also required to design the layout of the loft and increase the overall volume, whilst extending to the rear of the property. The updated loft included; increasing the ridge height, adding two large dormers to the rear, and two bespoke dormers to the front. This created four bedrooms, one family bathroom and master ensuite.

The overall look and feel of the property was modernised. The whole house was rendered, new grey roof tiles fitted, and modern aluminum windows and roof installed. This provided contrast to the original style of the property.

Selection of views

Key Design Features

Model Projects understood that people with limited mobility may find homes cramped and difficult to move around in, therefore, this design had to accommodate the extra space needed by a wheelchair. The rooms, corridors and doors were enlarged. At the same time, the optimum solution was found to ensure the layout was as easy as possible to move around with ease and provide independence. The design created a beautiful, modern new family home, with simple flooring, full height glazing allowing natural daylight to flood the property. The living space flows seamlessly into the garden beyond. A child's bedroom has been designed with practicality and provides a fun and happy place to be. A new wet room provides easy access and function.

To the ground floor, the property originally contained smaller individual rooms; kitchen, dining room, study, living room with four bedrooms upstairs. The design team at Model Projects created a property that flows. The large, modern, rear extension and reconfigured internal space now provides; a extensive open plan kitchen/dining area, utility, study and two bedrooms. The kitchen opens onto the rear garden, and is a beautiful room for the family to enjoy. Large floor to ceiling windows allow further light to seep into the living room.

Model Projects enlarged the loft floor and this now provides four, spacious bedrooms and two bathrooms, along with storage space. To the front, pentagon shaped windows follow the outline of the dormer, whilst to the rear, the dormers are modern, replicating the new extension below, providing symmetry to the property. The rooms are now simple and modern for the family to enjoy.