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House Plans: Gatehouse Transformed into Contemporary, Energy-Efficient Home

29th March 2018

Looking to downsize from a vast family home, Tania and Stewart Donald discovered a 19th century gatehouse for sale. Following their purchase, they faced some difficulties when it came to balancing the property’s heritage history with the modern renovation they desired.

After two and a half years, the Stewarts finally moved into their completed house. The scheme features a new staircase, three additional bedrooms with dormer windows and a balcony on the first floor.

Only two of the original walls and the chimney were retained, with the rest of the structure being demolished – so although most of the house is new, the project was still classed under the renovation bracket.

Fact file:

NamesTania & Donald Stewart
Type of projectRenovation
StyleContemporary
Construction methodTimber frame & brick
House size249m2
Project cost£454,329

The home’s energy-efficient features include triple-glazed sliding doors in the kitchen and a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system (MVHR), which allows a fresh supply to come in while stale air is extracted from the house.

Despite the difficulties, Donald says the couple have no regrets. “Creating a bespoke home can be an incredibly frustrating process, as you can’t control outside forces – but it’s very rewarding once you’ve finished. We loved our project and would do it all over again in an instant.”