From a kitchen request, a whole house rethought.

A house bought with an energy rating of F. The request is not always the need.

A young couple with a newborn buys a house to refresh and bring up to today's comfort. The kitchen is cramped, the only toilet is outside: the request is for an extension.

This extension led to a wider question: how should the whole house live? A ground-floor toilet, a dressing room, a new access to the attic to fit out two bedrooms, a study and a bathroom.2 The small existing bathroom is enlarged to take a toilet upstairs.

Bought with an energy rating of F, the house needed a real renovation strategy. The works, planned as self-build, combine internal and external insulation and suitable ventilation.

The extension, simple and bright, houses the new kitchen opening onto the garden.1 The former space becomes storage and a toilet. A rainwater harvesting well allows the collected water to be used in the house.