Extension and detached garage, Forest of Dean

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Category: Home Extension & Remodelling
Location: Forest of Dean
Client: Private
The brief: Our client approached us with a vision to breathe new life into their rural property in ancient woodland on the tranquil outskirts of Bream. The project involved the demolition of various dilapidated sections of the existing house and the construction of new, modern extensions. A key part of the brief also included reconfiguring the internal layout for improved flow and functionality, and creating a new detached triple bay garage with an integrated home office. The existing property had suffered from a series of incomplete and poorly executed extensions, leaving the home in urgent need of renovation and a cohesive design strategy to bring it up to modern standards.
Key features:
  • A contemporary design blending with traditional materials such as locally sourced stone and timber.
  • Extensive use of glazing to maximise natural light and create visual connections with the surrounding woodland.
  • A detached triple bay garage with a home office above provides practicality and flexibility.
  • Integrated ecological design with bat mitigation measures, including a dedicated bat loft and roosting features in the external walls.
Our role:

Appointed in January 2024, Apex Architecture took the lead on RIBA Stages 1–4. Our initial steps included a complete measured building survey, supplemented by a topographical survey provided by Precise Land Surveys. These produced accurate floor plans, elevations, and a 3d model of the existing property, surrounding site, and garden areas.

Using these models, we developed design proposals refined through on-site meetings with the client to ensure alignment with their vision. We worked closely with New Ways Ecology to address the primary site constraint—protected bat species—surveying the existing buildings and designing sensitive and effective mitigation strategies incorporated into the proposals.

Following a collaborative and considered design process, full planning approval was granted in early 2025, marking a key milestone in transforming this underutilised rural dwelling into a stunning, sustainable family home.

Contractors

Timeline: Appointed January 2024, planning consent granted early 2025.