Changing with the times – commercial to home

A London buyer was introduced to us by Nic Chbat of Match Property estate agents in Barnstaple, who said. “We often help buyers from out of the region, by introducing professionals and local companies who I’m confident will provide an excellent service and look after their interests, here they needed an architect in Woolacombe.”

Architect in Woolacombe

Our new clients were in the process of buying the former ‘Village Chippy ‘in South Street Woolacombe with the intention of converting it into two flats. Initially, this former commercial building offered few obvious answers, but through time and investigation, gradually revealed further design possibilities.

We’re always working with the local planning department at North Devon Council, so we could adapt our approach guided by our local knowledge and experience of development in this lovely village.

Looking to repurpose this former commercial property, our aim was for a ‘light touch’, so not to harm the local vernacular; a majority of the work being internal. This project presented an opportunity to create an additional residential property in the heart of the highly popular coastal village of Woolacombe. Our concept allowed for sensitive re-use of an existing building, with consequent improvements to the external façade, with all existing UPVC windows being replaced with new decorated timber casement windows and removal of brash advertising signage both giving a significant, positive impact on the designated Conservation Area.

Whilst the initial direction was to create two flats, it became clear that a better solution was splitting the accommodation vertically into two cottages, each on two floors. Our further deliberations led us to feel that to make the most of the volume of the building, the design should use reverse level accommodation, so upstairs is open plan kitchen / dining / living, with vaulted ceilings highlighting the feeling of space, whilst downstairs are bedrooms and bathrooms. 

We managed to create two cottages from the building, one with two and one with three bedrooms. We oversaw the construction works, which were finished at the end of 2022.

“The effective reuse of buildings is a constant, sometimes creating exciting opportunities, particularly for commercial buildings, some of which can offer sizeable accommodation. Viability is key, emphasising the importance and value of having the right team working together, to advise and guide your project.

Peregrine Mears Architects Architect in North Devon