Case study

‘Don’t move, improve’ mantra, helps to create family friendly extension

Three people stand in front of a stylish modern home with large windows. The house is two stories high and features a stone facade, surrounded by a green lawn.

Overview

A striking modern extension by CE+CA Studio has transformed a traditional 1930s Sheffield home into a light-filled, open-plan family space, enhanced by Glazing Vision rooflights that maximise natural daylight and energy efficiency, and featured on Channel 4’s Ugly House to Lovely House.

Details

Architect

CE+CA Studio

Images

Dug Wilders Photography

Products used

A modern living space with a light-colored sofa adorned with decorative pillows. The room features an open layout connecting to a dining area with a dark wall and a skylight above. Large glass doors lead to a garden filled with greenery.

Flushglaze Fixed Rooflight

Bright, minimalist kitchen featuring a large skylight, wooden dining table with chairs, and a vase of yellow flowers on the counter. A potted plant adds a touch of greenery.

Pitchglaze Fixed Roof Window

A modern home with a stone facade and large glass doors, surrounded by greenery. A small patio with a table and chairs is in front, and a green-roof extension is visible on the upper level.

The Brief

A modern extension has transformed this traditional property into a free flowing, open planned family home. Filled with an abundance of natural daylight throughout the whole property, thanks to three Glazing Vision rooflights.

Approached by Channel 4 to work on this clients’ 1930’s semi detached house, set on the edge of Sheffield, CE+CA Studio were tasked with radically altering this traditional property and make space for their growing family.

CE+CA Studio felt it was important to make the building as energy efficient as possible, through the careful selection of materials, additional insulation and the use of daylight throughout the home – all helping to emphasise the additional 60% extra space within the home.

A stairway leads to a bright landing area with a skylight, featuring three hanging round light fixtures. A potted plant sits in the corner, and light walls enhance the airy feel of the space.

The Solution

Whenever there is a plan to create more space in a renovation, it is vital that the increased depth of the rooms never feel dark and that they promote plenty of natural daylight.

Howard Evans, Director of CE+CA Studio, was keen to include a number of rooflights and roof windows within the project, and having worked with Glazing Vision on multiple projects over nearly 20 years, he was quick to communicate with his local Technical Specification Manager, Michael Rogers, and specify two fixed rooflights and a roof window.

“We chose the Pitchglaze rooflight to sit over the stairwell. This allowed us to go wall to wall with the rooflight, flooding the middle of the house with natural light throughout the day.” Howard Evans.

A bright, modern staircase leads to a cozy bedroom at the end of a hallway. A large potted plant sits to the left, and the walls are painted white with minimalist decor. Natural light filters in through a skylight.

Maximising Daylight

The effect of the 2000mm x 1000mm stock sized Pitchglaze roof window, is an abundance of natural daylight flowing through the centre of the house.

The frameless internal appearance allows sky only views, unique to this type of product, and important to ensuring that maximum light was transferred into to this family home.

Even in the early evening, when the sun cast shadows through the unique balustrading at the top of the house, it adds a dynamic and ever changing effect to the stairwell walls.

The 2000mm x 1000mm and 1200mm x 900mm flat Flushglaze rooflights over the new extension and kitchen/diner area have accentuated the open new space and ensure the new areas in the home do not feel dark.

A cozy window nook features two cushions and is framed by a skylight above, allowing natural light to illuminate the space. Outside, greenery is visible through the window.

The Impact

What’s really special about these is the impact of the meadow roof on the extension, is the plants can be seen peeping in through the rooflights, making great, playful shadows throughout the afternoon.

The sheer size of the Pitchglaze roof window made manoeuvring it through a very tight site a challenge, especially with the COVID restrictions but the installation of all products was straight forward and simple, which helped to speed up the installation process.

All 3 products were supplied with an easy clean coating, designed to keep the glass cleaner for longer, and a ‘low e’ coating which provides a superior thermal performance and ensures that heat loss is kept to a minimum. Especially important when factoring in the importance of making the building as energy efficient as possible.

A modern dining area features a wooden table with a vase of flowers, a candle, and a placemat. In the background, a sleek kitchen with blue cabinets and yellow bar stools is visible. Large glass doors lead to a garden, inviting natural light into the space.

Architect's Thoughts

It has been an impressive remodelling of a traditional 1930’s property into a modern and vibrant home – reflective of the change within the city over recent decades. Emphasising the benefit of natural daylight and open plan living, this remodelled property has attracted plenty of interest appearing on ‘Ugly House to Lovely House’ on Channel 4.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the end result of the project. The Glazing Vision rooflights really help to animate the spaces throughout the day. The pitchglaze over the stairwell is a particular highlight and has delighted all who have seen it – especially the family who are now back in the house.” Howard Evans.

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