The existing building is a two-storey detached property in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. It was built some time between 1945 and 1950 as a pair of properties to infill a gap in the existing streetscape of the houses. The property is constructed of a red-brown brick and render finish with a clay plain tiled roof and deep eaves. The front has a projecting gable elevation that drops the roof plane over the existing entrance porch. In addition, there are a series of hipped tiled roof dormers at the front and the back.

The building has been adapted over the years with the previously granted extensions, and the change of building materials does not sit sympathetically with the original dwelling. There are expressions of stonework, creasing tile features, and then change of levels in brickwork at the base and render to the top half. This gives the house a character that we wanted to maintain when adapting the front and allow anything new to blend sympathetically. This is a crucial factor in our proposal and something we have carefully considered and generated into a subtle design.

The proposal sees the following changes to create an accessible home for this young family:

• Front entrance porch and ramped access into the interior.
• Rear adaptions and landscaping with ramped access to the lowered garden area.
• Internal adaptions with a new platform lift and new staircase.
• Wider internal doorways and new fixtures and fittings.

The design has been developed to work around a pre-installed external pool building that is tailored for the needs of the family. Once the landscaping is fully completed the garden and pool building will be accessible and useable all year round.

These sympathetic additions to the front and rear will ensure the arrangement works for the family now and in the future. The extensions use materials complementary of the existing house and the installed pool building to generate a unique addition which sits comfortably with the original house and in this conservation area context.

We gained planning permission for the scheme in August 2023. We are now working with the clients to generate the tender and detailed design information for pricing and construction of their project.