In this case study, we looked at converting a loft in a 1910’s semi-detached home in Old Trafford
Standard Loft conversion projects usually have a bedroom and a bathroom at the back of the house. We planned to preserve the elevation with its stunning views and keep them for the bedrooms rather than waste them on the bathroom, since the bathroom was only for the kids to use. This option allowed the clients to keep the bedroom not only a similar size, but also of a similar value.
When doing any extension, we always look into the costs versus value of the property after extending. In this case, this had caused the proposal to be an extension into 3 bedrooms. We decided that the additional 3 rooms will add more value than just the 2..
The clients were a family of five with two boys and a girl. As a growing family with an aspiration of working from home, they needed some more bedroom space, 2 extra bedrooms in particular, with a shower in the loft space.
The challenge in this property was to accommodate 2 bedrooms and an extra room in the generous loft space, with all the amenities that come with them..
We overcame this challenge by carefully placing the staircase, so that the front bathroom under the eaves had sufficient headroom. The staircase also didn’t subtract much space from the rear bedroom, and both rear bedrooms became double-beds. We tried to minimise the bathroom space so it was roomy but compact at the same time. The two velux windows in the shower room created more headroom and gave better natural lighting..
As the loft had a generous footprint, we tried to develop it to provide 2 double bedrooms and a single bedroom/ office space. One challenge was to fit a small family shower, as well as the third bedroom, and figuring out a way to position the shower in a way that it isn’t taking up the space of the back elevation, so that the view of that elevation can benefit the bedroom. Another challenge was to retain sufficient headroom in the bathroom.
The Loft conversion started from a sizable space, with the main compromise being the shower, which was compact, but felt quite spacious compared to the space it was in…
As you can see from the sketches, we were experimenting with the room and bathroom layouts until we came to the ideal solution. The aim was to not waste space on hallways, and maximise the floor space of the bathroom, carefully designing around the staircase’s headroom etc..
In regards to the elevation, we also were looking at the outcome of the window design, as the square window above the peak of the outrigger wasn’t an appealing look, and fortunately, the client approved the proposed triangular window that sloped along the roof angle and looked very attractive and modest.
Due to the costs on the way to the finished product, we unfortunately lost the lovely (bigger) side round window, with the clients only keeping the small one. It was a long wait, but when the window finally arrived, and was installed and finished, it looked stunning and added to the atmosphere of the staircase. Imagine what it would have been like with the bigger one!
We would also like to bring attention to the elevation’s material, as we had chosen slate that matched the roof, and gave a fantastic result! It stopped being a hasty dormer, and looked much softer and merged better with the rest of the house.`
In the end the clients had chosen lovely colours to finish their conversion, which complemented the look and gave it a warm touch.
Special thanks to Pride Road and the extended team:
Architect and Pride Road Team: Magda, Alan & Bruce
Builder: Paul Manaton, JP Properties
Structural Engineer: BDI Structural Solutions
Building Inspector: Align Building Control
M285
"The highlight of working with Pride Road and Magda, was the ease of the entire process, Magda really brought our vision of the dormer space to life with her designs."
Louise & Nick
"The highlight of working with Pride Road and Magda, was the ease of the entire process."
"I am impressed that the shower room is so compact, yet still functional and so bright."
"I am impressed that the shower room is so compact, yet still functional and so bright. I think 2 Velux windows are a must in such small spaces, they take away the claustrophobic feeling that otherwise might make a space feel too tight and small."
Pride Road