Unidentified Works has retrofitted a modest coastal bungalow in Pembrokeshire, transforming it into a low-energy family home that reacts sensitively to its National Park setting.
Unidentified Works has actually sensitively reworked an outdated bungalow located within in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The retrofit strategy centred on maintaining as much of the existing structure as possible, along with substantially updating thermal efficiency through using external insulation. A black silicone-render façade improves airtightness and removes thermal bridges, while a brand-new composite slate roof enhances durability in the hard seaside environment.
“The existing home was ‘a little bit of a Frankenstein building'”, states Unidentified Functions Director Kaowen Ho. “It was typically energy ineffective, like so numerous residential or commercial properties of its period, developed with advertisement hoc extensions and really little thought given to the lifecycle of the building or how it might be used in the future, let alone sustainability or biodiversity. Your house likewise revealed indications of water ingress, thermal bridging and damp, among other crucial building and construction defects, and the interior was a warren of small areas with no sensible design or flow.”
Created to support the rhythms of seaside living, the plan includes a devoted utility entryway, which supplies area for wetsuits, surfboards and sandy equipment, before going into the primary living area. White walls, natural products and extensive timber-framed moving glazing increase daylighting and develop a strong visual connection with the sea. Big openings extend the primary living spaces onto the existing rear balcony, permitting life to unfold versus the altering backdrop of the coastline.
The material scheme presents visual warmth through terracotta tones, natural stone, fluted glass and crown-cut lumber joinery. Outdoors, red-pink gravel pathways offer a playful counterpoint to the black outside, and establish continuity with the colours used internally. Planting softens the structure’s edges, while reclaimed railway sleepers form low retaining walls along the peaceful gain access to roadway. Ecological measures include committed bat and swift boxes that encourage local wildlife to inhabit the structure alongside its owners.
“Overall, this is a stealthy, subtle and restrained style,” shows Ho. “The low-slung black, even brutal, exterior paves the way to a really soft and brilliant interior, using the warmth and welcome of a proper family home.”