Renovation Retrofit Extension insulation
Renovation Retrofit Extension insulation
Renovation Retrofit Extension insulation
Renovation Retrofit Extension insulation
Sussex
The brief
RVI have been commissioned to undertake a renovation, retrofit and extension to this former Parish Hall and Schoolmaster's Cottage into a spectacular home.
The challenge
The clients are determined to preserve and transform this abandoned site into a home for them to live in. Create a lifetime home incorporating high-performance insulation and a comprehensive strategy for renewable technology integration to supply heating, hot water and power. Accommodation for 3 generations at regular family gatherings must also be provided.
The Design Solution
The original intent was to retain and retrofit the vast majority if the existing buildings. The new home heating strategy evolved from a hybrid system of geothermal and solar thermal coupled with a large solar PV array providing up to 12kW to a battery storage facility.
Existing retained solid walls were to undergo a retrofit with breathable internal insulation to improve thermal performance, prevent moisture and mould build-up and improve longevity of the original heritage brickwork. All salvaged materials from deconstructed elements were reused wherever feasible in the extension.
Occupant comfort, health and energy efficiency remained at the heart of the design solutions explored.
Due to the protracted planning issues causing significantly increased costs and time (explained below), the construction phase budget had to be reduced. RVI were not retained beyond providing a full technical construction specification.
A D&B contract removed almost all natural material applications - hence the extensive use of PIR insulation visible in the photos. Hopefully it will be OK.
Renovation Retrofit Extension insulation
Renovation Retrofit Extension insulation
Planning Challenges
For anything other than simple extension and modifications, the planning system has become slower and more challenging over the last few decades. This site has proved to be particularly challenging. The design of the exterior restoration scope and extensions has been received very positively by the local planning authority (LPA); yet that is only a minor part of the challenge in this case.
The proposal seeks to change part of the building's use from 'assembly space' to 'residential', which makes sense given that the hall has not been used for years. Residential conversion is the only viable use to bring the building back to life. The LPA would favour commercial use but this is impractical for a host of reasons, which we will demonstrate to them in our application.
As the building has not been used for years, the LPA have assessed that the water usage of the property has a baseline of zero. This would not normally be significant in the slightest but the site falls within an area covering a large are of Sussex on which a 'Water Neutrality Notice' has been served. This has effectively halted any new development within the water neutrality area unless the new building uses no more water than the building it is replacing. So the baseline assessment by the LPA of zero creates a very real risk that the building can never be saved.
We worked very hard to understand the water neutrality issue and to find a cost-effective, sustainable solution to address the challenge. With the help of a water-offsetting, essentially partnering with existing property owners who are retrofitting water reduction measures, this site can play its part in a collaborative effort to address the reduction in water consumption across the county.
A further challenge to progress of the project; bats have been discovered roosting in the roof. We like bats and support every effort to protect endangered animals. However, given that bats are being discovered more and more frequently, do the onerous and stringent surveys and costly licences required to undertake building works around them perhaps need to be reassessed?