Loft conversion – Maximising Space With Limited Height

The brief

The property owners wanted to maximise the additional living space they could make in the loft by constructing a bedroom, a shower room and a relaxation/work space next to the new bedroom. They also wished to retain the current open-plan layout on the ground floor of the property.
The property is not listed nor in a conservation area. The City Council do not give planning approval for full width (box) dormers so the work had to be done within the Permitted Development rights for the property.

The property

The property is a small two-storey 1900s freehold terraced house with a two-storey rear facing outrigger. Prior to the conversion works it had an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area on the ground floor with two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor.

The solution

To maximise additional living space would require conversion of both the loft over the principal part of the house and the loft roof space over the outrigger.
The brief had a number of design constraints;
o The principle loft did not have sufficient head height for a traditional solution
o The proposals had to be achieved within the Permitted Development (PD) rights for the property
o Converting both the principle loft and the outrigger required detailed design to ensure the works did not exceed the 40 cubic m. PD limit
o The owner wanted maximum light in the relaxing space/office
o The open-plan ground floor raised issues in terms of the requirement for a ‘protected means of escape’ from the new loft rooms.
The solution was to build a full-width rear facing dormer to the principle loft, dropping the rear half of the new floor whilst maintaining a minimum of 2m in the rear dormer area and in the landing and bedroom below. The rear dormer area was to be used as a shower room and dressing area whilst the area at the front under the eaves a sleeping platform. To the rear, the pitched roof was removed from the outrigger and a full depth side facing dormer built. The new floor maintained a minimum 2m in the new relaxation/work space and in the bathroom below. The new stairs enter the loft at the lower level with steps up to the dressing area and sleeping platform. To maximise light into and views from the new room a picture window was located in the rear facing wall.
An enhanced automatic fire protection system and a risk assessment by Independent Inspectors allowed the owners to retain their existing open-plan ground floor.

The result

The owners wanted to ‘push the boundaries of the possible’ and the completed loft conversion has certainly achieved this.
Dropping the ceiling in the rear half of the 1st floor has enabled the loft rooms to work as a space and to comply with Building Regulations. The reduction in the ceiling height on the landing and in the rear bedroom is almost unnoticeable whilst the front bedroom remained untouched.
It is in the loft that the full impact of the design is apparent. The combined bedroom and relaxation/work space runs from the front to back bathed in light. It feels spacious and the new room flows from the stairs through the relaxation/work space and up to the sleeping platform. The picture window with its hidden blinds frames views over the City. Neatly designed cupboards transform un-usable spaces into functional storage areas. The design flair of the owners and the specific solutions to the technical requirements have resulted in a ‘job to be proud of’.

Rear Dormer Replacement

The brief

The clients brief was to maximise the usable space on the second floor creating usable bedrooms and to replace the small tired old rear facing dormer.

The property

The house is a large semi-detached two-storey property in which the loft space had been badly converted some time ago. There was a dormer to the rear which was old, poorly built and lacked insulation and the size of the dormer did not allow for the best use of the loft space.

The solution

The solution focuses on re-building a bigger dormer, enabling the internal space to be re-configured to create two separate bedrooms, a bathroom, and a utility room and significantly improving the energy efficiency of the space.

The result

Internally the new space feels and looks like the second floor has always been there. The space flows from one room to another, the new staircase follows the line of the existing and the new banisters and balustrades match the existing.
Externally to the rear, there is still a dormer but the materials match those on the main roof. There is a small pitched roof on the line of the eaves softening the visual impact of the dormer and blending it in with the rest of the house.
The new windows in the dormer line through with those below and the form and details of the windows match those in the rest of the property.
Roof lights to the front roof slope allow the afternoon sun to bath the second-floor bedrooms with sunlight from mid-day onwards.

Upgrading Existing Loft Conversion

The brief

The owners wanted to create a master bedroom and ensuite in the loft space that already had an existing small and somewhat dated loft conversion.

The property

The property is a 1930s semi-detached house with three large living rooms on the ground floor and three bedrooms and a bathroom on the first. An earlier loft conversion used part of the front bedroom for the stairs up to the loft and the conversion accommodated a small bedroom and shower room within the existing roof pitches. The earlier conversion didn’t maximise the available space in the loft or the potential views.

The solution

The solution was to change the hipped roof at the side to a gable, with a small hiplet at ridge level to soften the visual impact of the works and to build a full-width dormer to the rear. In designing proposals the aim was to utilise all the available floor area whilst working within the permitted development rights that are available for the property. The hip to gable enabled the new stairs to the loft to follow the line of the existing and the owner has meticulously matched the balustrades and details of the new stairs to the existing. In the new loft space, the large floor area enabled the creation of a big bedroom with banks of fitted wardrobes and a large bathroom. In the rear facing dormer sliding doors with a glazed Juliet balcony provide ventilation and ample light to the new bedroom.

The result

The new stairs flow up from the existing and look as though they have always been there. The new bedroom and bathroom are both much bigger than the original rooms in the loft and the second floor feels very much part of the house rather than rooms squeezed into the loft. Mirrored wardrobes doors reflect light throughout the loft. Through the rear facing sliding doors, the bedroom is bathed in light from the afternoon and evening sun and the doors provide great views over the neighbourhood and beyond.

Loft conversion, new gable & new pitched roof

The brief

The clients wanted to use the empty loft space to create a master bedroom at the top of the house with an ensuite and dressing room. As part of the design, they sought to maximise light and space and optimise the views from the new second-storey bedroom.

The property

The property is a large 1920s detached house on an elevated position overlooking Brighton. It is constructed from bricks at the base, with a pebble dash on the first floor and with a tiled hipped roof on all fours sides over the original part of the house. An earlier two-storey extension encompassing the original garage copies the original walling materials but is finished with a basic felted flat roof.

The solution

The design proposed to convert the hip at the back of the property to a gable and change the flat roof over the garage to a pitched & hipped roof.
A hip to gable was a visually attractive solution to creating additional usable space in the loft. The gable follows the lines of the existing roof, its orientation minimizes any detrimental impact on the neighbours but it maximizes the views of the City. The roofing materials and the finish of the new gable give a uniform appearance to the rear elevation.
The new hipped roof at the side matches the line and pitch of the existing roof, it follows the existing eaves and uses matching materials but it is subordinate to the original roof and has a lower ridge line.
Internally there is a large bedroom running from the front to the back with a dressing area to the front of the bedroom. Under the new pitched roof is a good sized ensuite bathroom containing a large ‘walk-in’ shower and a bath. The new stairs from the 1st-floor landing follow the line of and match the existing stairs and look as though they were always there.

The result

The aim of the proposal was to maximize the available space in the loft whilst creating a design that was harmonious with and enhanced the visual character and form of the existing house. The loft conversion has created a good sized bedroom with an ensuite and a dressing area. The gable to the rear provides space, light, ventilation and fantastic views and the new pitched roof provides space for the ensuite and gives a more balanced front elevation to the property creating visual harmony.

“We are very pleased with the results. The bathroom is much bigger than anticipated, the dressing room is an excellent use of the space and the huge gable window is a constant delight. The atmosphere that has been created is very calming.”

CE, Brighton

Loft conversion with limited height

The brief

Solve a common loft problem: what to do when you cannot stand up in the loft but need more space. Like many others, the clients did not want to move and needed more space for their growing family.

The property

The house is a two-storey terraced house with high ceilings on the ground and first floors.

The solution

Drop the first-floor ceiling to accommodate a second-storey.
The height of the first-floor rooms and the distance of the window heads from the ceiling allowed us to drop the first-floor ceiling by about 300mm, still leaving ample height on the first floor and well over the required minimum on the second floor. Dropping the floor requires a different process from the ‘normal’ loft conversion, where all work is done in the loft away from the rest of the house until the stairs are fitted. The existing first-floor ceiling can harbour more than a 100 years’ worth of dust and dirt. It is essential to put in and seal the new floor beneath the old one before its removal.

The result

A light loft with a bedroom, shower room, and dormer window. Internally the new stairs to the loft match and follow the line of the existing stairs, and roof lights provide natural light to the bedroom. Externally the dormer finish matches that of the existing house, the rear elevation flows up from the garden and it looks as if the dormer has always been there.

Basement flat and loft conversion

The brief

Take advantage of the enormous development potential offered by the property’s loft and the basement, converting the latter into a separate two-bedroom flat with an enclosed private patio to the rear and the loft into additional living accommodation.

The property

The house was a 1930s semi-detached house in a conservation area. It is subject to an Article 4 Direction and the proposed work required detailed liaison with the council’s planning department.

The unused loft space was one of the largest I have ever seen in a normal house and would have lent itself to conversion to a small flat on its own. The basement covered the rear three quarters of the house’s floor plan, with an old garage taking up much of the usable space.

The solution

Extend the basement flat to the rear, creating a new kitchen and living room for the flat and a new balcony for the house above (accessed from the rear ground floor) with steps down to the garden.

Conservation-style roof lights and windows were the only allowable visible alteration to the front. To the rear, the planners were happy with proposals that copied similar examples in the street of the rear dormers and the rear basement extension.

The result

In the basement, the conversion and rear extension create a two-bed flat with bi-folding doors to the rear patio, with a light-well providing light and ventilation to the front bedroom.

The new stairs to the loft rooms follow the line and detailed design of the existing and they flow up to the second-floor landing. The new landing gives access to the spacious bedroom with its large relaxing space, an en-suite bath and shower room and an office.

Kitchen extension and room in the roof

The brief

Increase the ground floor living area of the house and provide another bedroom with a WC/shower room in the unused loft space.

The property

A two-bed, two-storey terraced house. Its location in a conservation area in Brighton required planning approval for the proposals, which had to be sensitive to the existing house and the surrounding area.

The solution

Extend the ground-floor area into the outside space at the side of the existing galley kitchen, opening up the inside of the back of the house to create a combined living, dining, kitchen area flowing from one living space to another.
Roof lights in the extension and glazed doors to the rear open out to the garden and allow light to flow into the living area.
With a staircase spiralling off the first-floor landing the unused loft was turned into a neat bedroom with a WC/shower room. Roof lights on both the front and back roof slopes let light into the new bedroom from the west and east.

The result

A light, spacious house that works superbly as a family home. The client decided to do both jobs at the same time using different builders. It was a hard couple of months for the clients, but the result has made it worthwhile.