Detached houses, Tunbridge Wells

The owners of a 1960’s bungalow on a long, narrow site in Tunbridge Wells approached us to replace it with two large detached houses.

The houses had to be in keeping with the traditional architecture of the area, so we used traditional brick techniques. A large roof with dormers helped to reduce the visual impact of the buildings and to secure planning permission.

All the materials used are in keeping with the surrounding buildings, including brown brick, clay tiles (both on the roof and hung vertically on the dormers) and timber double-glazed windows painted white. The large windows on the ground floor maximise daylight into these rooms, making them feel more light and spacious.

The owners were also keen to be environmentally friendly so rather than install solar panels (which will need replacing after 20 years) they opted for a rainwater harvesting system which stores the water shed from the roofs and recycles it for flushing the toilets. It also saves them money as they pay water charges in their area.

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