Extending and converting a Grade II listed merchant’s house in Bristol

aaltspace relishes the challenge of working with historic buildings, never more so than when listed & in a conservation area. Our response to a project’s context and brief will result in a unique, aspirational design, tailored to its site & the clients needs

When working with a building of high architectural importance, it is crucial to understand not only the history, setting and design of the original house but also current statutory planning guidance. This will help flag up any limitations to converting or extending, but also highlight creative opportunities for further exploration.

As a practice, aaltspace places a lot of emphasis on effective communication. We invest great effort in the pre-planning stages presenting a research based approach to clients, statutory bodies, conservation officers and Public Bodies (like Historic England or Historic Environment Scotland). And we ensure we listen and take on board concerns or observations about proposals and adapt them where necessary. For a successful outcome, collaborative dialogue is the single best way to proceed when working in a historical context as there are so many factors, opinions and statutes a design must satisfy. When teamed with an innovative but sensitive design approach, this approach will hopefully reap rewards.

Designed in 1896 by Henry Dare Bryan, this splendid arts and crafts merchant’s house was heavily influenced by architect Richard Norman Shaw’s (1831 -1912) famous Grim’s Dyke house in London, described by John Betjeman as “the prototype of all suburban houses in southern England”. The previous owner had lived in the house for 47 years. aaltspace was commissioned by the client – a professional couple with a young family – to navigate the planning system for them and investigate how their property could be modernised while retaining its historic features and charm. A two phased solution firstly opened up the ground floor spaces to create linked kitchen, living and dining areas, followed by selective demolition, alteration and extension to create a new breakfast room and family garden room.

We negotiated our design approach with the Conservation Officer, and using evidence based reporting, persuaded the officer to endorse the restoration and modernisation of the existing outhouse while proposing a thoroughly modern, but carefully considered family room that responded in full to the garden, which itself was significantly redesigned as part of an integrated process.