London House
Our customers
dreamt of an energy-efficient, future-proof home designed for entertaining.
After getting planning permission to extend and refurbish their existing home, our customers decided to start from scratch so they could get what they really wanted for their home without compromise.
They had instructed an architecture practice to redesign their home but the designs didn't quite work and they became concerned about hiring traditional builders for their project. It felt like too much risk for not enough reward. Thankfully, they stumbled across Facit Homes just in time.
Facing a loss of faith in the process, our turnkey service and construction expertise gave them real confidence for the first time in their project. Our high performance Facit Chassis™️ and digital manufacturing approach ticked all the right boxes.
Together, we worked through their brief, designed their new home, demolished the old one and set out to build something they could imagine their future in.
Although not unattractive, the existing house was a draughty and impractical 1970s building with very little space for entertaining. The vision was to create a mix of beauty and function in a flexible, spacious family home that was fit for the 21st Century in terms of both environmental performance and lifestyle.
Creating the design and developing the planning application, we worked closely with our planning consultant to ensure the scheme would adhere to local policies. The application went to appeal but as we had prepared the application so rigorously, this was swiftly upheld and planning permission granted.
A big challenge for this project was the steep driveway of the existing house. A deterrent to elderly visitors and a source of complaint (even from the postman), this access issue was a top priority. We resolved it by dividing the plot into two distinct levels, one for access and parking and another for the home, connected by a carefully landscaped front garden.
The zinc-clad gambrel roof (essentially a mansard with flat ends) allowed us to create full height spaces on the second floor, providing the extra room the family needed whilst sitting the new home comfortably into its suburban context. On the elevations, seamless render in a light tone contrasts with the textured Equitone Linea cladding at the ground floor level, this two tone exterior helping to break up the mass of the building. Large, playfully and symmetrically positioned windows flood the home with natural light and give the exterior a contemporary look.
Internally, the spaces were designed for both family living and entertaining. A huge open plan space on the ground floor accommodates their dream kitchen, as well as a 3m dining table and informal sitting area. It is connected to a separate sitting room via a full height glass pivot door, something that both of our customers really wanted to include for a grand view into the living room. As this space opens out onto the wraparound garden, large windows and Solarlux bifold doors were specified to maximise the connection to outside, especially the BBQ and fire pit area.
Going from a home that could only just fit 6 around the kitchen table to one that will entertain many more has been a source of real excitement - as has the addition of amenities like a pantry and games + media room.
Every space was equally important and great care was taken to ensure a cohesive and exciting interior design. This included a bespoke, digitally manufactured staircase that greets you as you enter the home, with oversized steps that create a social space at the base. Every space is designed to bring the family together. Every space feels welcoming.
While they were always planning to have a study, the pandemic changed their perspective on how this would work and how important having multiple spaces that could become work areas would be, including a study and studio for their daughter. One unusual element of the brief was a music room, which required soundproofing to allow for drumming, percussion and music production sessions.
In order to take future-proof their new home, they researched and discovered Equippd, a young firm that specialises in seamless and future proof 'smart home' experiences and who developed a system that connects lighting, media and security throughout. They are also ensuring that these technologies help reduce energy usage as well.
Super-insulated walls, triple glazed windows, a high level of airtightness, MVHR and underfloor heating also mean that the property will require very little energy to run.
