Top Exterior Design Trends for Home Extensions

2018 is already becoming a great year for the architecture industry and what it can bring to houses/buildings. The industry is ever changing, with new and exciting ideas constantly coming into play, and so the trends are constantly changing. Therefore, we have created a list of our top 3 picks and what we believe will become the top exterior trends for 2018.

It is not just about how a building looks inside. Now people are more likely to judge the inside of the building before they even step foot in it, due to the outer aesthetics.

 

#1 Texture

Something that will give off a ‘wow’ factor to any building is the texture of it. Bringing different textures to the outside will create an unusual look which will bring the whole house alive. One way which is starting to become popular is the contrasting textures. For example, a gloss steel alongside a wooden front. The shine off the steel and the dull wood will complement each other well.

 

Wooden textures:

One texture which is becoming popular is the wooden cladding. Apart from the aesthetic look, it also has the lowest energy consumption and the lowest CO2 rating, as it actually absorbs it during growing, and locks it in when used in construction. So not only does it look great, but when sourced from a local producer it is very green.

Wooden textures are not a new invention, however, they were becoming a ‘thing of the past’. Yet, towards the end of 2017, there was a big breakthrough with part wood surfaces on houses. Breaking up the all brick look with a contrasting surface.

 

Metal textures:

Metal surface for houses is a brand new concept, however, one which is becoming increasing popular. Metal surfaces are an ultra-modern look, and with the reflective surface, will make your house appear bigger.

 

Stone textures:

The use of stone placed on brick looks great. The difference in textures are subtle yet still looks modern. 2018 is set to see more of these houses.

Apart from them just looking good, they also have some huge benefits. Stone is considered as one of the most durable construction materials, meaning it will protect you against most weather types, including a strong resistance against fire and water.

 

#2 Red bricks

Red bricks are back! But not like you are used to. Red bricks have been used in a number of different ways. From heritage buildings to general suburbia where they were a default choice. Now these red bricks are coming into 2018 with a different approach…a more premium style.

The red bricks will be used in a stylish way to enhance any areas of a building. It will show a contemporary style of building work, enabling you to show off aspects to your building which will give the most amount of effect.

 

#3 Eco/nature-friendly

Eco friendly houses are becoming more and more popular, and in 2018 it isn’t going to stop. People are now more conscious of the environment. However, this doesn’t have to be boring! There are many different ways to liven up a building with eco-friendly ways. One way, which also ties in with our number 1, is the texture.

Grassed walls are becoming more and more popular. It is not only a great talking point, but also one which is great for the nature around you. A quirky look for your house will give you the wow factor.

 

#4 Dark outer

Another increasingly popular design which is already showing a great impact to the architecture industry this year, is the dark facade. Darker houses and extensions, create a more sophisticated look. Giving a greater impact to the first glance of the building.

So 2018 is set to be an exciting year for architecture. Exterior trends are becoming a big focus as people want to give off the ‘wow’ factor not only to the inside but the exterior. For more news on architecture, click here.

8 Key Stages of Preparation Before Extending Your Home

Choosing the correct design firm.

Every project needs to start somewhere. And when extending your home, the first thing you should do is decide who is going to help you turn your dreams into reality. Whoever you pick, you need to make sure they have enthusiast! And if you pick us, you will see our excitement shine through…
 

Measured survey

The next step once you have appointed your designer and set the agreed schedule and payment terms is to book the full measured survey of the existing house and gardens. Here someone (or a team of people) will call around and measure every room inside and each face of the house outside. This survey will include your drainage locations, window sizes, floor and ceiling levels. They will show radiator and boiler positions as well as your meters and manholes. So that any work affecting these can be shown on the plans.
Once the house has been measured, the team will then move to any garden area. Taking measurements to the boundaries, and noting any type and height of any boundary ‘treatments’ (hedges, fences or walls). This information will be shown on a site plan. Which is required by the planning department when making an application.
 

First draft proposal

The next stage is to begin the process of designing. Your chosen firm should speak to you about what you are looking to do. Whether it is a loft conversion, create an open plan living area, a swimming pool or cinema room… The possibilities are almost endless! You also need to have an open discussion about budgets. This will help the architectural designer come up with something that can be constructed within budget.
Your chosen architect should have lots of experience. Being able to come up with a design that they think best suits your needs. They should not be too precious about their design. If you don’t like their initial ideas then they should – and at Acre Design we certainly do! – move the design back to what the clients had in mind. By working collaboratively, the design comes to a stage where both the client and designer agree on the finalised layout and external aesthetics of the project.
 

Preparing and applying for planning permission

Once the design is agreed. These plans will need to be taken to the next level of detail for the full planning application. The planning department ask for a minimum amount of detail to allow the neighbours to have their say. Also for the planning officer to make a fully informed decision. These include all elevations, floor plans, site, roof and location plan. They can also ask for an array of other plans and reports such as heritage statements, design and access statement, bat surveys, flood risk assessments etc. These will be commissioned only if the planners require them. The clearer the plans are, and the more detail that is provided and the more comfortable the planner is in making a positive decision. Which is why we use the latest 3D design software and have an approval rate of over 95%.
 

Full technical drawings and building control application

Once the planning has been submitted the client chooses if they wish to wait for a positive outcome. Or move straight to next stage which is to produce full technical plans. The planning drawings show what is going to be built. Yet these drawings show how it is to be built. The plans go into great detail specifying every material used on the build and how those materials interact with each other. This is shown through a number of cross sections and a constructional specification. On these drawings, all works are shown to allow for building control (another council department that requires an application) to check for compliance against the building regulations.
All lintel sizes, drainage runs, sockets, lighting locations, smoke detectors, new radiator positions plus an array of other information is laid over the planning drawings. Along with the cross sections and specification which will form the plans. Which you will be using for the next two stages of the process.
 

Party wall letters

Party wall agreement.– If you are working on or near a ‘party wall’, which can be any boundary line or wall that separates you from a neighbour. You must inform them, due to the party wall act that the procedure is laid. This will require an appropriate letter. With all the information. Plus a copy of the required plans to be sent to them giving notice of when you intend to carry out the work.
 

Finding a builder

Acre Design, and most reputable design firms, will have contractors that have done good work for them before and that they like to use to ensure the design is completed as intended on time and on budget. We will first send our plans and check if the contractor’s availability fits in with our clients expected timeframe. If so, they will request them for a quote. If our clients have builders they have used in the past, then they are more than welcome to take our plans and speak to them. We love having a big meeting with everyone involved before works start. This is to go over everything over a coffee at our office in Wallsend.
 

Ready to start

With all the approvals in place. A good builder lined up and our technical plans used as an instruction manual for the build. The work can commence. Contact us for more information.

Loft extension – Everything you need to know

Having a loft extension is becoming more popular. It will not only give you more space but it will add value to your house when you come to sell it. Yet make sure you do your research before getting one. There are lots of things you can do to let the light in, it can be difficult to know what to choose.

The different styles of extension

With loft extensions, there are 3 main styles, each suited for different reasons and with different costs to build. Here we have the styles and why they are more suited to different houses.

Velux (Roof light)

 

This style of loft extension is the cheapest, once complete it will leave you with sloping ceilings with velux windows installed to let the light in (other roof light manufacturers are available). There are over 20 different sizes of roof lights in Velux’s range and each of those have different opening options too. If you have a large loft space, then this option should you suite you well.

Dormers

 

A dormer is a popular extension, and often won’t require planning permission (all loft conversions need building control approval though) as it gives a greater amount of headroom and allows normal vertical windows to be installed, giving better views from the bedroom.

In most cases dormers are located on the side or rear of the of the house. It is possible to install a dormer to the front of your property, but this is subject to planning permission. We will be able to advise you whether we think this would be advisable or not, just get in touch to arrange a free site visit.

 

Hip to Gable

 

This is a popular way to increase head height in a loft, it is relatively straight forward and can double the useable space within your loft. This type of extension is more popular in semi-detached houses, where there is an existing hip, as this is traditionally how their roof is laid out. This type of work wont necessarily require planning permission either, and so is a great way of getting extra bedrooms in your home, and adding value at the same time.

 

Making the most of your space

Now you have this extra space, you need to make the most of it. Therefore, we have some suggestions to help make the room feel as spacious as possible.

Use light colour

By using light colours it allows the room to feel bigger and more spacious. The light colours reflect the light rather than absorbing it with dark colours making it feel smaller.

Big windows

This continues to the last point, try to get as much light in the room as possible, this will help reflect the light coloured walls. When planning your loft extension, make sure you acknowledge where the sun comes up to try and place your windows in areas where you will get as much natural light as possible.

Built in shelves and extra storage options

Having built in shelves will decrease the amount of furniture on the floor making the floor space seem bigger. Make sure you have built in shelving all the way to the ceiling to make the room look taller and also increasing the space for storage. It is also a great idea to use the space in the eaves where there is limited head height to keep the boxes you would usually store in the loft, sliding doors can hide these away.

En-suites

The right loft conversion design can give you the master bedroom and en-suite you have always dreamed of. This room in a loft is often the biggest bedroom in the house, so it is always a good idea to try to fit in a beautiful en-suite to give your new master bedroom that 5 star feel. Head height for showers can be an issue, but feature wetrooms can reduce the step into a shower tray and give the loft a real wow factor.

If you are wanting a loft extension, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for a design planning. Call us on 01916 80 80 88 for more information.

Timber Frame Home Extensions and Self Build Projects

Acre Design are specialists in timber frame construction, we have vast experience in building using many construction methods, but we think timber frame offers excellent advantages, and our clients throughout Newcastle and the North East should definitely consider it when extending their home. Below Alistair talks about this method more and why it’s such a good option.

Timber frame extensions work well as an extension to all types of house, whether it’s a semi in Gosforth, or a stone detached house Whitley Bay, and the best of it is the external finish to match exactly with your existing home (as often the planning department requires), or with a contrasting finish to really stand out, and help you make a statement on your estate.  

I love timber frame, whether you are planning on extending your home to create more space, or add value to your home, choosing timber frame for the structural aspects have some really great advantages. Build time is much faster, as the walls go up in hours not days, and this means that you get a secure structure much faster than other construction methods like the traditional brick and block. Timber is also environmentally friendly and has excellent insulation properties meaning your new extension will not only be eco-friendly, but super energy efficient.

The main structure can be erected within a matter of days, meaning the roof works can be booked in in advance and start immediately which then allows for internal works to start once your extension is in the dry, this is a massive time saving when you think of having to wait for the brick and block walls to be finished, before you can start on the roof. At Acre Design, we usually work on residential extension projects to existing homes. 

As a result, our clients are usually living there at the time. The speed at which timber frames can be constructed means that materials will not be stacked around your home causing trip hazards and dangers for the kids. If, for instance, there were to be weather delays, using timber frame allows the construction process to continue as it is not affected by weather conditions! A massive bonus with the weather here in the North East. Acre Design are leading the way in the North East of England with timber frame designed extension, and we can work with you to design and then build an amazing extension that will give you the home of your dreams.

We can provide years of technical expertise in timber frame design, our technical detailing leaves no question marks and we can then oversee construction should you wish, we work in all areas of the North east from Hexham to Tynemouth, Morpeth and Sunderland.

Contact us today to chat to us about your extension, doesn’t matter if it’s a traditional build or this awesome method, just get in touch to discuss! 

Open plan Kitchen Extension Gosforth Architect Design

We’ve designed this minimal, modern extension across the rear elevation of our clients’ home to add a bit of contrast to the existing brickwork.

This will open up their existing kitchen into a large kitchen, dining & entertaining space complete with a modern double-sided fireplace. Our internal 3D images will allow their chosen kitchen designers to complete their dream kitchen with ease.

This particular extension did not need planning permission. This allowed us to submit our detailed drawings to building control straight away.

Sunderland Home Extension Design Project with Acre Design

Our client’s have bought a downtrodden semi in Seaburn (near Sunderland) which was in need of a full refurbishment as it hadn’t been touched inside for decades. As well as this the external fabric of the building had been battered from both this houses main selling point as well its principal threat, its front elevation stares straight out to the North Sea. Our client’s had only a wish list of rooms for us to satisfy, they handed this over at commencement, and we set to work. We decided in the end to extend to the side, rear and into the loft to achieve our limited brief.  We thought by utilising the form and details of the existing turret and peaked gable elements we would complement the street scene, (a key consideration for planning permission) and make full use of the outstanding views afforded by this house.  Balconies with sea views on both the first and second floor, a gym and cinema room, as well as the all important open plan kitchen dining area, we feel this house will be the envy of the surrounding area once completed. Our clients were delighted, and we required only minor changes to the original design before being submitted to the local planning department.

Home Extension

Our clients live in north shields in a newly built townhouse. A townhouse is usually a terraced property spread over three floors, often with a non traditional layout. For example, here, our clients have on the ground floor, an entrance hall with stairs and a kitchen, their main living area is upstairs on the 1^st floor. This has allowed them to have breath taking views up the River Tyne  from their living area, however it means navigating stairs far too often. Our brief was to build a single storey extension to the rear to give them usable dining space on the entrance level. Our design was to be clean and using a lantern glass roof to keep the overall height down, so as not to upset the neighbours. Our plans will give a whole new way of living in this house, they will have an additional entertaining space, and they can all socialise whilst dinner is being prepared.