Building on a tricky hillside plot would fill most people with dread, but these ambitious self-builders rose to the challenge
Building a modern family home in central Bath – no matter how smart – is something of a pipe dream. Bath Spa is home to picturesque crescents of Regency townhouses built using local golden Bath stone. The slightest mention of contemporary architecture, and hairs prickle on the conservationists’ rather long necks. Yet Tiffany Wood, her husband Jonny, and their children, have achieved their dream of building a modern home right in the heart of this historic city. On a road that climbs steeply out of Bath’s town centre, past stately old houses, there’s an abrupt change as a gleaming white box emerges, its lines decidedly un-Georgian. ‘The planners were very supportive of having something modern,’ says Tiffany. ‘But we knew we had to create something special for such a spectacular setting as Bath.’ The house was built, using the most up-to-date house-building technology available, by a wizard team of German house builders, Baufritz. ‘Jonny and I grew up in Germany and we completely trust their way of working,’ says Tiffany. The house was fabricated in a German factory and transported in segments on lorries, for a precision-engineered, whirlwind construction.
‘The idea was to make a contemporary version of a six-floor Georgian townhouse,’ she explains. ‘Living vertically isn’t very sociable, so I wanted to create a grand staircase with several floors coming off it at various points, helping the spaces to connect and flow more successfully than in a more traditional layout.’ A fantastic elliptical central staircase, bespoke kitchen and roomy basement for the kids all grew on paper, then a local architect drew up proper plans to present to the planners. A six-month wrangle ended in success, and structural engineers began the mammoth task of excavating the site, while the couple hunted for a German house builder.
Out on the hillside, ploughing several tonnes of reinforced concrete piles into the ground was already proving a costly exercise – and then disaster struck. Torrential rain blighted 2007, and suddenly the neighbour’s garden wall – situated on a steep incline above the hole they’d freshly cleared – sank, bringing 80 tonnes of garden with it. The whole project hung in the balance. ‘We could have walked away from the site there and then,’ recalls Tiffany. Mercifully, their luck returned when the neighbours’ insurers paid out for extra structural engineering, putting the whole project back on track. ‘If the hill was going to collapse, it was better that it happened then rather than once we’d built the house,’ says Tiffany. ‘We see it as a blessing now – we certainly didn’t then.’ After all the problems thrown up by levelling their steep site, the house itself went up without a hitch. ‘Baufritz are phenomenal house builders – they’ve completely perfected their process. There’s this notion of things being kit or prefab and therefore non-bespoke or standard, and it’s absolutely not like that. This house is entirely bespoke, built to our specific design,’ she says.
The couple fell in love with the Baufritz philosophy and its inspiring showroom in Germany. ‘When you go to the factory, you just realise it’s the way forward – they can harness all the best techniques and latest technologies,’ explains Tiffany. ‘They offered us everything on a plate, and we were bowled over by it.’ What stood out was the range of eco technologies being treated practically as standard – a far cry from the UK. Choosing solar panels for the roof, to heat water and help fire the underfloor heating, meant that a boiler would only need to supplement the renewable energy. More importantly, all Baufritz houses are insulated to such a high degree – using dry factory waste – that they are highly energy efficient and very quiet. A heat recovery system even ventilates the house naturally. ‘It’s down to extensive research at Baufritz into “building biology” – the science of creating healthy houses,’ recalls Jonny. ‘The solution to everything was always natural and so superior.’ The budget rocketed, but the couple wouldn’t reveal by how much. ‘We fell in love with this building, and wanted to do all we could to lavish love and care on it,’ says Jonny. The build itself ran like clockwork, with Baufritz scheduling the entire construction and fit-out, and the family moved painlessly into their new home in February 2008, 19 months after they started.
Once the exterior Bath stone cladding arrives, the house will truly hold its own alongside its stately Georgian neighbours. Tiffany and Jonny have brought to life a gleaming, flat-roofed, contemporary home, slung low on its hillside location, with an incredible view over the dipping green landscape. If that sounds anything like a pipe dream, dream on.
Useful Contacts
Architect: David Brain Partnership www.dbpbath.co.uk Words: Fiona Sibley Photography: Jefferson
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The family’s self-build dream began when Tiffany spotted a plot for sale with planning permission for a dwelling, and bought it on impulse. Selling their existing five-bedroom family home netted them a fair profit to begin the project, yet rather than draft in an architect, Tiffany, an ex-TV producer turned designer, pressed ahead with her own blueprint for an ultra-modern residence.
Inside the finished house, the details are beautiful – a palette of walnut and oak graces the flooring, built-in cupboards and even a sinuous handrail that tops the magnificent elliptical staircase. Large windows allow light to pour into the dining area, which leads up to Tiffany’s pride and joy: a bespoke kitchen of curving triangles by kitchen designer Johnny Grey (with Tiffany’s input, of course).Doing your own project?
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Top Tips
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Think carefully. Extending or adding to your home means understanding your domestic needs and planning how best to fulfil them.
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An extension can completely change the configuration of a home, how you enter a building and where you spend the majority of your time.
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Work should be done by a reputable builder with the correct planning permission and building regulations approval. Otherwise you could be in trouble when the time comes to move house.
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It’s a good idea to seek advice from a chartered building surveyor, who can advise you on the technical and practical aspects of home improvement.
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If you are hoping to turn a profit, then seek advice from a local estate agent about whether your planned work will be worth the investment. Don’t outprice your property for its location.
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Keep the number of bedrooms and bathrooms in proportion to your living space.
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Avoid creating an enormous family house, but losing the family garden in the process. You may have difficulty selling the property if buyers are put off by the lack of outdoor space.
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For further information and advice visit the UK Planning website or Planning Portal, which also allows you to make online planning applications.
The story so far
High point? ‘The excitement of the lorries coming up the hill carrying these huge bits of the house.’
Low point? ‘Being called and told that our neighbour’s wall had collapsed, knowing there was nothing we could do but wait to hear if the insurers would pay out.’
Favourite bit of the house? ‘The whole space – it still feels like living in a luxury hotel.’
What would you do differently? ‘Look for a site with a slightly shallower gradient.’
Would you do it again? ‘Definitely – it’s the ultimate creative project. Jonny will come round to the idea!’
Budget ‘The plot was £325,000, and we budgeted the same for the groundworks, but went over.’
5 advantages of prefab
1 ‘It’s a healthy house,’ say the Woods. ‘Because of the research into “building biology”, we can go to sleep at night and know the house is doing us no harm and the air quality is very good.’
2 Eco-friendly systems are standard and perfected, as European suppliers have an enormous wealth of experience in this area.
3 Once the budget is agreed at the beginning, it stays the same – there are no unexpected budget increases as everything has a set cost.
4 Project management, logistics and sourcing of all the elements are included in the service.
5 The manufacturers are masters at using timber so, regardless of the design, the craftsmanship makes for a beautiful home.
