Design Case Studies

Semi detached doesn't have to be boring or predictable. The client originally wanted a single home but during the design process his circumstances changed. His brief changed to a pair if semi-detached houses with him living in one as he knew there would come a time when he couldn't manage the larger house or the large garden. We took the original design and adapted it to meet with the approval of planners by not deviating too much from the original concept while also meeting the brief.

The client approached Avalon after having been refused planning to replace his deteriorating dwelling. Despite submitting a plan that appeared to meet the local plan in terms of its size it had been rejected out of hand. Through close liaison with the planner and understanding the client's requirements for the development we were able to gain a preplanning approval from the authority. The moral of the story is sometimes planners will like and therefore pass a plan of a good contemporary design when they reject what might be considered the safe and traditional option.

A design that has been carefully drawn with its setting within the landscape in mind will always stand a far better chance of gaining consent. By understanding the planner's thinking we can design something they can support, as long as our client is realistic in terms of the size of property that stands a chance of meeting the requirements of the local plan. If a planner likes a design they will often support it but if they don't they will move heaven and earth to stop it in its tracks. Sometimes a more traditional approach is required to blend with the local vernacular style such as the chalet style house featured on our home page. In that case use of traditional hand made bricks and tiles laid in Flemish bond persuaded the elected committee to overturn the planning officer's rejection by 8 votes to 2 and it took 8 months of hard work by our designer and the client to win through.