Client Name

Gibson-Barton

Location

Berkshire

Usage

Downsizing & Retirement

Specification

7m by 5m

Requirement

We’re all getting older and for most of us there comes a point when we cannot manage on our own or would prefer to be closer to family. Whatever the situation, finding suitable and appealing accommodation in the right location can be nigh on impossible or simply financially prohibitive. The SIPs (structured insulated panels) construction of our buildings makes them ideal garden annexes, indeed SIPs are extensively used for residential properties in Canada and the USA. They are extremely robust, highly thermally efficient, fast to build, have the same guarantees as any new build and space permitting, can be placed wherever you want. This client needed an annex for her mother who was selling her own house and moving to be with her daughter.

Summary

Planning is required for any building that will be used as a permanent dwelling. In addition, any build involving waste water ad associated drainage requires building control certification. We have associate specialists who can on behalf of the local authority inspect and sign off our builds at various key junctures in its construction, without imposing delays. For this project however there was an unforeseeable complication that incurred some delay. There existed a restricted covenant on the land and permission had to be sought from other governing bodies before building could commence. The build was, after that, straightforward. To make the very most of the space available we built tight up to the boundary which requires the sides and back panels, adjacent to the boundary, to be covered by non-combustible cement particle board. It has an attractive smooth finish and we paint it with a high quality weather proof paint that is RAL colour coded to match the window and door frames. The front was attractively designed with recessed French doors hinged one side to a floor to ceiling glazed panel. The effect was glass spanning the width of the main living area, giving open views of the garden, throwing in wonderful light and giving an airy spaciousness to the room. The remaining front façade was clad with our enduring kiln dried Western Red Cedar with its warm golden tones. The interior was carefully designed to optimise use of space. There was, for example, a sliding door for the ensuite bathroom and the kitchenette compactly designed with wall hanging and floor standing units. The flooring chosen was our high quality 10mm laminate which comes with a 25 year residential warranty. In addition the ‘disabled package’ was added which includes a raised WC with support handles, support handles in shower room and extra wide access doors. Our studios are exceptionally thermally efficient with U values exceeding government guidelines (i.e. lower). This means very little energy (therefore cost) is required to maintain a perfect ambient temperature throughout the year (especially important for our elderly). Our client chose two wall mounted thermostatically controlled electric panel heaters to ensure the rooms remained cosy throughout the colder months.