2A1M Studio have been appointed to extensively renovate and extend a converted stable block in Bath. The property sits on a sensitive site in the World Heritage City and is subject to a raft of planning constraints, including the curtilage of the Grade II listed Italianate mansion it formerly served.
Despite the tricky context the property benefits from outstanding views. Sat high on the hills overlooking the city and fringed by woodland above, the property is set into the slope with its long elevation aligned to the view. As a former stable block, the proportions are long and thin, which coupled with the retaining ground floor and understandable emphasis on ‘The View’, has resulted in a dramatic, but single-toned internal experience.
Among other functional requirements associated with updating the house to the unique needs of the new owners, the brief called for a diversification of experience in the internal spaces. The notion that a building can have too much of a good thing is often a hard one to accept for designers and clients, the temptation for every room to have expansive openings and make the most of the obvious asset can be overwhelming. Practising restraint and understanding that contrast and variety of relationships to landscape will better suit the diversity of domestic activities, can be difficult, but is worth the effort.
Concept design is ongoing. Looking forward to developing the scheme into a planning application.
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