Acorn Farm

Location: Kent | Status: Planning Permission Granted
Planning Department: Wealden District Council

Redevelopment of Farm Buildings to provide residential accommodation.

Project Page

Once occupied by Eric Blair, George Orwell, Montague House is a Grade II listed house located in a well known coastal town in Southwold, Suffolk.

The property is not only listed but also situated in a conservation area. The building is Georgian but with Victorian additions. The house has a red brick walled garden with a traditional lean too garden building. In 2007 the building displayed signs of significant lack of maintenance.

The client not only wanted to repair the structure, fabric and to remove and remodel the dilapidated rear additions. All services to be replaced and the kitchen and bathrooms redesigned and refitted. Existing windows to be repaired and a complete redecoration internally and externally. The design criteria:-

1. required respect to the form and character of the original building

2. be sympathetic and secondary in nature to the original building so as not dominate it

3. matches the materials and detailing of the original building

4. does not result in the loss of important features including historic fabric

5. has a ridge line below that of the existing

6. does not affect the principle elevation (west).

The works have now been successfully completed to budget and time.

Green retrofit and partial rebuild of early Victorian terraced house in heart of one of Camden’s best conservation areas.

The house was a charming example of an early Victorian terrace in the heart of Camden. It is identified as being a positive contribution to the Rochester Road Conservation Area. The house was in a poor state of repair has suffered from neglect, unsympathetic work in the 1970s, damp and needed significant structural work.

Miller Architects redesigned the house, restructured the building, carried out significant structural remedial work, fitted three new bathrooms, new kitchen, underfloor heating throughout, new heating and hot water system using solar thermal panels on south facing roof. The roof was restructured to allow the master bedroom to have a vaulted roof with very large triple glazed roof lights with the en-suite shower room also having vaulted roof and roof lights. Historic features were preserved and restored and missing items replaced. New doors and windows were installed to traditional Victorian pattern with slim line double glazing. The garden was extensively landscaped to remove the concrete slab covering the garden and restored grass and raised flower beds to assist with drainage preventing water running in to the house walls and creating damp problems. The garden was replanted to be wildlife and bee friendly.

The properties were designed as ground and first floor flats, constructed in 1911. The original accommodation of the first floor flats consisted of three bedrooms (two doubles and a single), a sitting room, kitchen, bathroom and separate WC.

The client wanted to completely reconfigure the first floor and provide accommodation in the roof space. Miller Architects undertook the design of the scheme which provided three double bedrooms, two bathrooms, sitting room and kitchen diner.

The design also took into account the clients requirement for a contemporary style befitting an Edwardian flat. Another requirement was to adopt a “green” approach to the design and specification.

This is reflected in the use of a air source heat pump with complete underfloor heating, high levels of insulation to walls, floors and roof, a fifty percent efficient open fire and the use of nine rooflights for natural light and ventilation. The materials used were, where possible, from sustainable sources including the use of eco paint.

The works were undertaken in 2008 under the contract administration of Miller Architects and were completed on time at a cost of £170k.