Burton Farm Annexe Testimonial
Client Testimonial
I moved down from London in 2013 to be nearer my family. My son had recently purchased a property in a beautiful rural location, north of Chichester, with magnificent views and rather convenient outbuildings that looked perfect for conversion into a suitable annexe style accommodation. The plan was to convert the rat-infested wood shed and two adjoining garages into an annex. The rats had made themselves very much at home in the shed, making little holes in the door to come in and out as they pleased!
The rural location, however, had its challenges…
Being in the South Downs National Park, meant that the conversion had to fit within the original footprint of the outbuildings. Careful consideration had to be given to the layout so as not to compromise the proportions of the living space.
The SDNP is proud of its status of International Dark Sky Reserve, so rather than using rooflights to illuminate the internal areas, light had to be maximised in other ways. Double aspect windows were employed wherever possible and French windows in the main living area, making up the entire fourth wall, flood the area with light. So, whichever window you look out of, you’ve got a nice view.
In addition, planning restrictions dictated that the new building should be constructed using the original 1950’s LBC rustic bricks, to match the existing farmhouse. Careful consideration had to be given to the exterior design, and the use of cascading ridges and eaves adds interest to what might otherwise be a very ordinary building.
The build was not without its problems too, the wind carrying off building materials on several occasions. A porch was added towards the end of the build to protect the entrance from the prevailing wind which we discovered whistles in from the west. It’s very windy here…I was nearly blown right off the step on one occasion (they get a little draft in Petworth and it’s a hurricane here!)
John and his team were brilliant and working with them was a really nice experience. They were really accommodating, often stopping what they were doing to help me with my bags after a shopping trip, for example. At the start, I had an idea of what I wanted, but it quickly became apparent that I couldn’t do much because I was stuck with what the planners would allow. John and his team of designers worked with me to adapt the initial vision in such a way that the result is both practical and very pleasing.