Bobbo completely renovates and extends his tired 1950s bungalow

Sounds fucking cool. Any pics?

What's the construction for the rest of the house? We had some odd details to work through, but the timber frame people we used were very good at working out the most cost effective (and air tight) solution... thermally breaking everything can be more difficult than ensuring a good seal.

Yeah, we get all our hot water from the SunAmp PV unit which is usually all we need, we sell some PV back to the grid in Summer and we top it up in Winter on an overnight tariff. We went with an unconventional DHW solution to minimise any standing losses from a thermal store (as our main risk was over-heating in Summer, not being too cold in Winter). It's well worth looking into PV-powered battery technology (for DHW)... it's a great, simple solution that isn't well understood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3_VgxsOxoE

I'll have to dig out some more exterior/build shots, but the gable end (with in/out vents) and interior is here:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNUbVX-N-y_tTU7dU9LQfQ-F92SvjusMuvL_Zkw7ren6ZYSbYVISKccITxmw9duNg?key=UzlDM0t6ejM0UTY1NzNTV3lrYzRteUZPYkw3X2pn

What's the construction for the rest of the house?

The rest of the house is pretty standard brick / block cavity wall construction with lots of random penetrations for vents that serve no real function. The previous owner was a "precision engineer" with a penchant for DIY and I keep finding things he's done to the house that are, well, not thought through properly and pretty badly executed. That said the house is still fine to live in until we start the works if a bit cold and draughty in the winter (despite liberal amounts of expanding foam used to block up some of the vents).

Your place looks lovely and thanks for the info lots to consider.

subbing

The previous owner was a "precision engineer" with a penchant for DIY and I keep finding things he's done to the house that are, well, not thought through properly and pretty badly executed.

Oh, list please.

Ok so:

1. When a wall was taken down to make the kitchen the current size it is there was a difference in ceiling height of ~ 5mm. The normal solution to this would be to get a plasterer to feather out the height difference and make it not noticeable. This guy constructed a false box in the middle of the kitchen ceiling that runs the width of the room and put low voltage downlighters in it. Not a bad solution I hear you say, but hold on a second how does one turn these lights on? By climbing into the fucking loft to flick the switch that's how.
   
2. He put home made built in wardrobes in every bedroom. To be fair he did an ok job of this apart from one little thing the doors are so tight to the floor that if you put a match stick on the floor in front of them it will get caught under the door and rub. Want to put a nice rug on the floor in front of the doors? Forget it.
   
3. The usual way to tile a bathroom is to put yourbshower tray and bath in then tile to them. Not this fella, he tiled the entire room floor to ceiling and floor as well obvs this means that I have to choose between a MASSIVE line of silicone around the shower tray and bathtub or none. Obviously I need this round said shower tray but there has to be so much there that as it dries it settles back and therefore becomes a mould magnet.
   
4. He put a shower in without a fucking extractor fan. This is now resolved.
   
5. Installing toilets without fixing them to the floor. Also resolved.
   
6. Installing a kitchen without fixing base units to the wall. Fixed.
   
7. The aforementioned number of random vents.
   
8. Re roofing the garage flat roof but not putting a drip above the gutter so that when it rains it also rains inside the garage. This is now resolved
   
   

There are some more problems but these are my biggest bugbears. If we weren't planning on doing the work then these would have all been fixed by now but if we're going to be doing major work there's no point fixing some of this stuff now.

Well well well, first a few shed builds on here and now a whole house! As a fellow homeowner with lots of work ahead of me I will follow with interest.

Funny how you perceive American builds as unusual with the timber framing, it's the most common method here in Sweden as well. Perhaps due to 99% of the country being covered by pine trees (or something). Our concrete & brick house is unusual here.

Soooo.. architects came a couple of weeks ago and measured up. I got the drawings of the proposed schemes today, to say I'm disappointed would be an understatement. The drawings I've been presented with bear no resemblance whatsoever to what we discussed and I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do next.

Post on here for amateur critique?

There is nothing wrong with what they've proposed, just not what I asked them to produce. I'm taking the kids out for their daily exercise now and to try to calm down a bit. Will do diagrams etc when I get home to try and explain things better.

Yeah that’s probably a better idea, this sort of shit is always very disappointing - really takes the wind out of your sails.

I don't want to teach you to suck eggs, but I suggest that you sit on the architects plans for a while and really think about them, maybe even ask the architect to call you to discuss them.
Architects and designers are constantly trying to balance clients ideas / wishes with what we consider to be best design practice. There may be legitimate reasons for your architect to prepare the design in a different manner to what you've envisioned, and it might lead to a better result - but you'll not know unless you discuss the plans with them.

After that, if you're not convinced, tell them to prepare a scheme based on what you've asked for! If they can't or won't, it's time to go elsewhere.

All very good advice, thank you.

The problem is that we know we will have a bit of a fight on our hands but ideally want a proper first floor. We asked the architect to prepare one of his two initial schemes as such, what we got yesterday was two schemes for a chalet bungalow one with dormers at the front, one without.

get this dude to take a look - you'll be open plan with much wood and a feeling of tranquillity and calm.

https://www.robertjamisonarchitects.com/

"March 2020
I have an idea to create a library of architectural ideas, accessible to all, illustrating my practice approach to residential living that fundamentally rethinks convention.
I want to open my practice towards collaborating with a wider audience, generating ideas for YOUR homes and projects.
Here is the idea. I will review your current, existing and proposed plans illustrating ways to unlock spatial conflict transforming your home into your dream living space. In my practice the ‘idea’ is sacrosanct, with every project requiring a fresh, first principle approach to unearth the true potential and spirit of your living spaces.
Our level of engagement will vary according to each project, but all shapes, sizes, budgets and dreams are welcome.
On receipt of your ‘expression of interest’ purchase, I will request further information for assessment before classifying and categorising projects to scale/typology/budget. Upon selection and invitation to proceed, we can discuss level of collaboration and I will invite you to provide further information to enable the commencement of a consultation phase.
I will record a ‘critique’ of your project and demonstrate insight, spatial opportunity and new ways of thinking about your environment and living condition through sketch and word. Edited, these works will be presented to you, and uploaded to an appropriate public platform while maintaining your confidentiality.
This catalogue of idiosyncratic yet all encompassing ideas, will collectively reveal ways to support health and wellbeing within your built environment by enlivening your spirit to a new way of living. "

maybe.

Presumably there has been explanation and justification for what has been provided so far? Corner plots can be tricky - you will need a design that 'turns the corner' successfully and mediates the shift from bungalow to two storey, without appearing over-bearing. Aside from impact on the overall streetscape there may be constraints around impact on neighbour's amenity / light etc. The local residential design guide (planning spd) could be worth a look for general council expectations. Once you have drawings (you are happy with) do a pre-app to test the water on your maximum preferred option - on the basis that you have a backup option to scale down to if the guidance requires it.

please don't! seen his output on TV, you will get to live in a museum cafeteria with 30+ unnecessary seats by the window

Right so update.

After my last post I spoke to the architect. He knew it wouldn't be right but wanted to get something on paper as a starting point from which we could discuss things and come to the right place. It didn't help that the drawings etc were done by a junior (who was at the initial brief but busy measuring so missed stuff) because the senior guy I've been dealing with until now has been in hospital for non covid reasons.

I've attached the floorplan (70 - 80% there) and elevations (90ish%) for the scheme we are going to apply for first knowing that the planners may not like it. We will guage their response and see where we go from there I've spoken to a lot of our neighbours (all of the ones who will be directly effected) to let them know we will be putting in the application and been met with a warm response so hopefully there will be no planning war with them.

2 Attachments

didnt realise the house was on the equator....

Any reason not to have the ground floor bathroom between the two bedrooms? Closer to the living area, and equitable for the 2 bedrooms? Is it to do with stacking underneath the en-suite above? Actually just spotted the downstairs loo, so guess that is why, and would make a slightly odd shaped bedroom and have window issues. Answered my own question there.

Ah, I forgot to mention that. That bathroom is pre-existing and will probably stay there but become smaller. The two bedrooms downstairs won't be bedrooms but are labelled as such for convenience sake.

It was the right way round when I uploaded.

Ah that makes sense, in that case I propose converting the downstairs bathroom into a sauna or steam room.

Subbed to this. I'm going through similar nonsense.

What is labelled as a play room will actually be a grown ups sitting room. Recent events have me mulling over the possibility of cutting the downstairs bathroom in half so we get a downstairs shitter and a hidden room accessable through a scooby doo style door hidden in a bookshelf. This way the next time we are locked in the house with the kids and their behaviour starts going downhill I have a soundproofed room that I can lock myself in and scream until I feel better.

I have always wanted a secret room. Always. I even considered getting an underground room installed that can be accessed via a trap door in the shed or garage.