Old Orchard乡村平房扩建项目丨英国牛津丨Gresford Architects

Local studio Gresford Architects has upgraded the Old Orchard, a 1980s bungalow in Oxfordshire, with a low-impact and modern extension.

The timber-clad home was refurbished for the studio's principal architect, Tom Gresford and his family, after recognising the site's carbon-neutral potential – a key factor in their search for a countryside property following COVID-19.

Gresford Architects has extended a countryside bungalow

Located in Littleworth, West Oxfordshire, the country house is set back from the street and overlooks the Thames Valley.

Originally built in the 1960s, the bungalow underwent its first remodel in the 1980s. Despite its good condition, its interiors were in need of an upgrade for contemporary and family-friendly living.

The extension aligns with EnerPHIT guidelines

"The idea was to take a typical bungalow and maximise its potential, both spatially and environmentally," Gresford told Dezeen.

"We wanted to increase its floor area without impacting the existing footprint or foundations, which we did by adding a new first floor to part of the house."

Gresford Architects approached the project with the aim of keeping the use of new materials to a minimum, while reusing and repurposing elements from the original structure wherever possible.

Materials were reused or repurposed, keeping the carbon footprint low

As a result, the project aligns with EnerPHIT guidance, the Passivhaus standard for retrofit projects.

These guidelines require that as much as possible of the existing building is either kept or reused, ensuring that materials with high levels of embodied carbon are left unaltered to keep the carbon footprint low.

The ground floor colour scheme was informed by Japanese kimonos

To create a uniform aesthetic between the old and new structures, Gresford Architects enveloped the home in western red cedar, which was harvested from trees on the site itself.

A segment of the roof was removed and replaced with a timber-framed extension, which unfurls along the site's cruciform plan. The design of the powder-coated corrugated steel roof was informed by neighbouring agricultural buildings.

An MVHR system was installed to regulate temperature

The home has also been externally insulated, resulting in lower U-values and better insulation.

While no additional heating system was needed, the studio chose to use an energy-efficient MVHR system for cross ventilation as well as renewable energy sources, including solar panels and an air source heat pump.

"The MVHR system enables the interiors to feel fresh and well-ventilated even when doors are shut," said Gresford.

On the ground floor, existing stud walls were removed to open the space into a series of colourful blocks. Each space serves its own purpose and is separated from the others by sliding pocket doors.

The layout and colourful sections draw inspiration from the family's time in Japan, incorporating traditional colours and patterns from kimonos.

Existing stud walls were removed

"We love the colours of the interiors, which change constantly as you navigate around the house and create a completely unique feeling," said Gresford.

"The same goes for the texture of the timber cladding, which, because it was grown on site and allowed to dry naturally in the garage, has a liveliness and texture to it that bought wood seldom does."

Each room has large windows that bring in light

Other than the removal of the stud walls, the only major structural change on the ground floor was the replacement of the original conservatory with a modern glazed addition.

The light-filled room opens onto a covered verandah, allowing the interior to flow into the surrounding landscape.

The colours extend upstairs via the staircase

The colourful palette extends upstairs via the dark green stairwell and hallway. A built-in slide is hidden behind a "secret" door in the wall and was built around the home's main staircase.

"The slide was a promise we made to the kids after years of house hunting," said Gresford. "It's provided endless fun for them so far!"

The Old Orchard overlooks views of the Thames Valley

The upper-level extension is organised around the family's bedrooms and bathrooms.

Each of the children's bedrooms features mezzanines, making use of the high ceilings and creating more space for play below. Cut-outs and windows overlook the hallway, letting the kids interact with each other.

The home is wrapped in western red cedar

Including the primary bedroom, each suite has large windows that look out on the surrounding landscape and let in natural light throughout the day.

Other residential extensions completed by Gresford Architects include a stepped stack of charred-timber-clad forms for a Victorian terrace in Walthamstow, London, and a pink concrete addition to a second Victorian house in  London's Hackney.

The photography is by French + Tye.