The history of Victorian properties can be traced back to the time between 1830 and 1901. As you guessed it, this was when Queen Victoria was on the throne. Britain was going through rapid change and this placed huge pressure on improving living conditions. This is why many Victorian homes are characterised by rows of terraced housing on narrow streets. The formula for mass producing housing was standard, and at the time it was pretty much copy and paste.
Architecture drawing
It is safe to say that when the high ceilings and large windows of Victorian properties were the calling card of the day in property design, the architecture drawings were not as tightly regulated as today.
The history of Victorian properties can be traced back to the time between 1830 and 1901. As you guessed it, this was when Queen Victoria was on the throne. Britain was going through rapid change and this placed huge pressure on improving living conditions. This is why many Victorian homes are characterised by rows of terraced housing on narrow streets. The formula for mass producing housing was standard, and at the time it was pretty much copy and paste.
Fast forward 120 years
Times have changed. The freedom to alter the fabric of a home has never been greater or more popular. But the rules which we must abide by have become stricter.
As the saying goes, ‘Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail’. Creating a comprehensive and detailed set of architecture drawings, that minimises the need for further alterations (small or large) as the project evolves, is essential to a smooth renovation.
What could go wrong?
It is not unusual to see builders turn up to site on day one, ready to start work and have to stop 5 minutes later. They have checked the height of the room below the loft and there is a big problem.
Did you know that a loft extension requires a minimum of 2 meters vertical height from floor to ceiling to pass building regulations? This is one of the most common pieces of information people quote back to me. But, it doesn’t stop it from going wrong from time to time.
The primary cause of this costly oversight can be traced back to poor drawing plans. A mistake like this will run into thousands of £s to fix, not to mention the added disruption, as the ceiling of the first floor will need to be lowered to create the space. Often the family also need to move out of the property for up to two weeks as the work is completed. Luckily I have never had to deliver this news message to a client, but I have seen it happen.
As we mentioned at the beginning of the blog, most Victorian properties are terrace houses and many will have a shallow pitch to the roof making it easy to fall foul to the minimum height rule.
The upside of Architecture drawing
At Good Design & Build we prefer to check the drawings 10 times but build it only once. We understand the importance of not rushing the project and this is why we have a strong track record of smooth renovations and happy clients.
During the phase when the plans are drawn up we also have a firm belief that it is not just about the space available to change.
Instead, this is an internal reconfiguration of your living space and it needs to be carefully designed to suit your personality, lifestyle, family needs etc. to deliver a perfect solution. We work closely with our clients to understand how they intend to use the space and design the plans accordingly.
To avoid any issues during the project it is also vital that correct dimensions are generated, the drawings ensure the proposed eaves and ridge heights conform to building regulations, and the design of the interior rooms are specific to the client’s requirements.
One of the factors that allow Good Design & Build to stand out is our ability and determination to absorb the pressure and stress of the whole process. Our experience and skill minimises any disruption throughout the build, and ensuring the architecture drawings are completed correctly and accurately is the foundation from where all our good work stems.
If you are planning a loft extension in London Good Design and Build would love to hear from you.
