Banbury Road

The client of this ongoing project owns a terraced Victorian property in the high street of Summertown, Oxford. The ground floor houses a shop and above that is a two-bedroom flat which they let. A feasibility study explores the potential surface area and value gains on various options, with the client’s main objective to maximise the return on investment. The options range from minor layout adjustments to substantial interventions such as a loft extension and the addition of a flat on the roof of the shop’s rear end. Furthermore, substantial layout rearrangements are also explored.

The findings of these studies resulted in a brief that outlined the client’s intention to, firstly, add an additional bedroom with an ensuite bathroom to the flat. Additionally, the layout was drastically rearranged to create an open plan living room/kitchen/dining area that opens onto a roof terrace at the rear, equipped with full-width sliding doors. The shared bathroom has been relocated and much more spacious than before. The newly renovated flat has also had new electrical wiring and fittings as well as necessary plumbing upgrades throughout.

Through meticulous design and spatial planning, the planning conditions stipulated in the planning consent, were ultimately transformed into opportunities that enabled efficient use of space and compliance with sustainable construction methodologies.