Ffordd Deg Bach | Extension & Renovation
Llandona, Anglesey, 2024
The path to renovating a house is not always straight forward, particularly in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Taking it from a space that may have served the occupants 100 years ago and bringing it to a place where it is suites modern living standards is something of a balancing act. The old stone cottage has a charming character, but has fallen into disrepair over the years.
Our initial concept was to restore the old house, demolish the later extensions and link it with a separate wing. We wanted to create a compact 1.5 storey wing that could be highly insulated and the home owners would live predominantly in that space in thermal comfort. However, planning rarely allow the building to be higher than the original, despite the isolated and generous site and we had to change tact.
In response, we extended either side of the existing house and made the additions distinct in materiality and a more modern aesthetic. The ceilings are vaulted in the extension, with exposed timber trusses to give a spacious feel. The original house contains the master bedroom and entrance area and maintain the low snug ceilings, which emphasises the contrast between the old and the new. The render is removed from the external walls to exposed the stonework beneath and the internal walls are removed, so that we can insulate the walls with breathable woodfibre. In this way we can make the old house as comfortable to live in as the newer elements. The new extension roof extends to form a canopy that protects the house from overheating in the summer and also creates an external shelter from the rain.
