Our project to extend and reinsulate a family home in Alexandra Palace today received planning consent from Haringey Council.
There are two parts to our approach on this project.
On the one hand, we are aiming to insulate the house to a high standard, to reduce our client's energy bills in winter, and reduce the chances of overheating in the summer. Sustainable materials will be used instead of standard construction methods - so the inner walls will be made of a timber framing rather than concrete blocks, and insulation will be primarily wood fibre and blown cellulose (basically recycled newspaper) instead of petrochemical products.
At the same time, we are enlarging and re-cladding the existing poor-quality loft conversion, and enlarging the ground floor to create a living area fit for a (recently expanded!) family, and to allow us to add a much-needed downstairs WC and utility room.
The next stage is for us to develop construction details, a kitchen design, finishes plans (e.g. tiling / flooring), electrical plans, and a specification (a written description of all the work required). Providing all this information is critical to allow builders to price accurately, and it is even more important to be thorough when using non-standard building methods. We are looking forward to seeing this become reality!
