Culross House

Alterations and extensions to an impressive Arts & Crafts house original built in the early 1900’s.

The Challenge

To the North side of the existing house there was a small double garage, only really suitable for one vehicle, with a workshop behind and a small courtyard to the front, the garage was separated from the main house by a further small courtyard. The client wished to create garaging for up to four vehicles, provide a snooker room and also a self-contained apartment, the extension was to blend seamlessly with the existing house and the raised terrace to the rear of the property.

The Solution

A scheme was produced to take down the existing garage and workshop and to build a new four-car garage (2 wide x 2 deep) along the same line but extending forward using the old courtyard space. To the rear of the garage we located a lobby and staircase providing access to a self-contained apartment within the roof void, and behind that a large orangery to house the snooker table and with elevated views over the grounds. In order to connect the new accommodation with the house, the internal yard was covered with a glazed roof and wall so as not to inhibit natural light into the existing window openings, and a new ‘trades’ entrance formed where the old boiler house had been located.

Externally there were significant works to form a stepped terrace with the lower section housing a sunken spa pool, the walls were formed in concrete block-work and then clad in a reproduction dry stone walling solution to provide a near match the original walling to the rear of the property, and terrace clad in reclaimed york stone flags.

Roof tiles and bricks from the demolished buildings were salvaged and re used on the principle exposed elevations, with further bricks being made to match the originals. The works were carefully designed and detailed so as to provide the required seamless integration with the original property.