Award-Winning Listed Building Extension in Bath

Winner: BaNES Building Control Awards 2019 – Design, Works to a Listed Building

This late Regency Grade 2 listed villa in the centre of Bath was originally designed by HE Goodridge (architect of Beckford’s Tower), but sadly it had been neglected over many years and was in a terrible mess. My clients bought it in 2015 and wanted to restore it and convert it back into a family home. They asked me to “give us a few ideas on how to turn this building into one suitable for contemporary living, yet retaining and enhancing the period features that first encouraged us to buy it”.

After careful consideration of the likely original design of the house, and of how it might be reconciled with the brief, I produced a series of alternative sketch designs to show different possible solutions to remodelling the back rooms. The clients gave me their preferences and from this I developed the final design.  As it often does, my work involved using and adapting some details that were already on or in the house, but also adding new details which had been used in other houses of a similar style and period.  I wanted to develop an elegant but efficient interior space, classical in appearance but functionally modern, with as much space, light and height as possible.  At the same time, I wanted to apply the rules of classical architecture to create an extension which would honour and build on Goodridge’s original narrative.

I produced this fairly detailed sketch scheme, and the clients seemed delighted with it.

The clients commented: “through a succession of extraordinarily accurate sketches, Anthony revealed what we quickly realised was the full potential of the building. Not only that, but it impressed the Council’s Listed Building Planning Officer resulting in a remarkably easy Planning Application & approval. His final design fulfilled every item of our remit:

Contemporary living – space, useful space, was created where none had previously existed. Well-defined areas have made the various functions in our lives easy and comfortable. There is absolutely nothing we would alter, even after four years of living here.

Period features – all that existed, remained, and the new accommodations and fenestration paid exacting homage to what already existed. In fact, by extending those features, Anthony managed to enhance the original 1846 proportions of the building resulting in an aesthetic improvement to Goodridge’s original works.

The extension won a much coveted local design award and has drawn much admiration from friends and neighbours. We are both proud and happy with our re-designed home and find it an absolute joy to live in.”

“A well detailed and sympathetic extension to a regency villa. A compact but stately addition worthy of this charming regency villa, and a pleasing arrangement of rooms to suit present day lifestyle and hierarchy of living arrangements.” – Judges, BaNES Building Control Awards 2019