Becca's House

Our first step was to gain planning permission for a Local Needs Dwelling. We followed a pre-application process and took on board the planning officers comments. 

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We had a 130m2 floor restriction to design within due to the Welsh local housing planning policy. To maximise the usable space we minimised the circulation areas with an open-plan arrangement; this resulted in three generous double-bedrooms with a main bathroom and an en-suite.

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On the ground floor the living areas were open-plan with a central fire place as a focal point and to provide some thermal mass into the building to help regulate internal temperatures. In addition there was a large plant room, shower room, and utility. By incorporating verandahs and a balcony, it helped increase the sense of useable space, connecting inside to outside.

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During the planning process, the planning officer was very complementary of the design, and it was valuable engaging the planning authority early on with well-thought out ideas.

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The construction strategy took a fabric first approach, with high levels of insulation, good air-tightness, MVHR system, solar panels for hot water and underfloor heating, and triple-glazed aluminium / timber composite windows and doors.