Triple Oak

+ Meopham

The site for this bespoke new project sits in a semi-rural location on the outskirts of this historic village.

Our brief for this project evolved over an extended period in collaboration with our clients. Essentially a self-build from a knowledgeable client, we were asked to consider ideas to expand and convert the existing 1960s bungalow on a leafy picturesque country lane, which flanks the outskirts of the neighbouring Conservation Area.

RHJB honed the brief to essentially create a master plan for the overall redevelopment of the bungalow and the site in which it sits. Our clients wanted a 4/5-bedroom property, converting or replacing the roof to achieve first-floor accommodation with wholesale reconfiguration and extension on the ground floor.

Our final idea set about rationalising our client’s requirements and the overall plan of the home. The existing bungalow was a typically sprawling plan, extended at numerous points over the past 50 years by various owners. In a somewhat radical solution, we suggested the demolition of a swathe of existing accommodation to the rear, allowing the plan to be simplified across two levels.

The street scene is occupied with formal two-storey properties that have clearly replaced former bungalows. It was imperative for both us and our clients that the tabled design sought to mitigate changes in scale, whilst increasing the amount of living accommodation. Our (RHJB’s) solution to this was to effectively design a property that puts a contemporary twist on the local chalet style vernacular.

The principle of the design is the all-encompassing timber hood that sits over the ground floor, grounding the building at key points. The material palette has been kept simple; timber, render and zinc unite the proposals. However, the key ingredient in this building is the glazing. Large format glazing has been utilised throughout, framing views to the front and rear of the property. The jewel in the crown is the double-height circulation core at the heart of the scheme, flooding the new open plan area to the rear of the home in natural daylight and providing volume change and intrigue.

The scheme has successfully created a contemporary home with an identity that sits comfortably on the site and within the surrounding country landscape.

For further inspiration see our Chestnut Road new build project.