The best laid plans - netMAGmedia Ltd

Getting a contemporary bungalow design in south London through planning proved to be a nightmare for Giancarlo Rubano. However, with a combination of his dogged determination, support from parents and architects, and some design compromises, he succeeded

TEXT TOM BODDY IMAGES LUKASZ WIELKOSZYNSKI & BOLANS ARCHITECTS

With a project that faced a litany of challenges during both planning and construction, Giancarlo Rubano’s self-build experience turned out to be a long and exhausting journey. But despite that, he and his architects have achieved an unconventional, cleverly designed bungalow that occupies a tight infill site in Giancarlo’s parents’ backyard in Forest Hill, south London.

Centering around a small but unique courtyard, the building’s design is filled with sustainable technologies, abundant glazing, and a green roof.

Since Giancarlo’s parents moved into their house, which is just a stone’s throw away from the site, in 1977, it had been their dream to build a new home in their back yard – and a major reason for purchasing the land in the first place.

Their lack of success wasn’t for the lack of trying; in the 90s they submitted plans to build a two-storey home of standard design, but these were rejected, and the dream was put on the back burner. “Looking back now, I can understand why it didn’t get through planning,” recounts Giancarlo, “it wasn’t the most attractive looking property.” Instead, the family settled for a double garage.

Two decades later, the idea of building on the land began to build momentum again. While exploring the idea of buying a house, it was always in the back of his mind to build something near where he grew up. “I knew it would cost me less,” he explains, “and I stuck with that mindset; it stopped me from buying elsewhere.”

With his parents, he approached local practice Bolans Architects. There were no specific prerequisites, but Giancarlo did want an open plan kitchen and front room, with a generally modern and minimalist design, and outdoor space with seating. Also, with climate change in mind, he was keen to explore different sustainable designs. Other than that, the architects were given free rein.

Classed as a ‘backyard development,’ the plot is surrounded by 23 houses and a church. Avoiding disruption to these close-by properties was always going to be tough, and even though previous applications had been denied, Giancarlo and his designers were up for the challenge.

PAINFUL PLANNING

Unfortunately, no one foresaw just how big that challenge would turn out to be. Hamstrung by a series of delays and local objections, as well as a stubborn planning authority that refused to be flexible, achieving consent ended up taking almost two years.

The original designs submitted included a two-storey structure which “worked really well,” explains Giancarlo. But as the council were adamant that any such volume would disrupt views of the church, the plans were abruptly thrown out. The designers then evolved the scheme into a one-storey three-bedroom bungalow with a central courtyard, however, due to several reasons but principally outlooks from the bedrooms, this was also rejected. Among the other constraints were a bigger courtyard, and a two bedroom limit: “I think in the end there were about 18 conditions for the bungalow; they really didn’t want this property built,” says Giancarlo.

But with a determined architect at the helm combined with Giancarlo’s own strength of will, they eventually achieved a design which the planning officers were happy to recommend. However, after months of not hearing anything following their submission, the project went into ‘non-determination’ limbo. “It was a nightmare,” Giancarlo remembers, “I had to hire a lawyer to expedite the process.”

Sitting in its last chance saloon, the fate of the project was in the hands of a local planning committee, and it came down to a single vote. After almost two years of redesigning and rejigging, the team finally secured the elusive planning permission. “It was a massive moment for us – it even gets me emotional thinking about it now.”

Giancarlo summarises the challenge he faced: “If you don’t have a progressive council, it can be very hard to try and design something different like this.”

CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES

You would hope that after such a lengthy planning process, the build itself would have been an easier journey. But as many self-builders will attest, that’s rarely how it works.

Instead of a self-build mortgage, the project was directly funded by Giancarlo and his parents. Looking back, he now admits that a mortgage route with money released in stages may have been “a more controlled way” of financing the build. “If you’re funding it yourself, it can be quite hard to stay on track.”

To ensure Giancarlo found the right contractor, he visited several builds and renovations to validate their previous work. However, this was far from plain sailing.

One builder, who a family member “raved” about, formed a good relationship with Giancarlo and submitted a bid which was “considerably lower” than other submissions. He admits that “this should have resonated that something’s not right,” but adds, “at the time I thought even if we hit an issue, we should have enough money left over to cover it.”

To minimise the impact on the views of the church for nearby properties, the bungalow had to sit two metres below ground level. Colossal amounts of soil had to be transported to the bottom of Giancarlo’s parents’ driveway, a volume of earthmoving which the builder “completely underestimated.” With access being very tight, the only solution was to remove a wall in his parents’ home to allow grab lorries to squeeze through. “The moment you start digging up the earth, the cost starts going through the roof!” exclaims Giancarlo.

The site’s location proved a challenge again when it was discovered that connection to the sewage main wasn’t possible – the only solution was to install its own pumping system. As part of getting the scheme through planning, they also required that a water fire sprinkler system be included. Giancarlo explains that while it “completely protects the home,” a one-tonne water tank was needed for it to function, which “cost a load of money.”

Despite these myriad headaches, the resulting structure and foundations are “really well engineered,” says Giancarlo happily. The home is “basically sitting in a concrete egg crate,” supported by steel beams with “massive retaining walls.”

The nature of Giancarlo’s job (working for broadcaster Sky) means he doesn’t work standard 9-5 hours, and this allowed him to be onsite regularly to see how the build was progressing. However, he was able to witness the results of an issue with the glazing company he had specified for the contractor to use. They were hit with delays, and without the glass, the project couldn’t proceed. “With all the contractor’s employees sitting around, he started another job elsewhere.”

The period after the glazing finally arrived onsite and the contractor returned to the job was where the project “lost its momentum,” says Giancarlo, explaining that “there was a lack of focus.” In addition, his builder wasn’t up to scratch.

Not only did people stop turning up, but he also says that the quality of the finishing was “appalling” in places. After months of stressful experiences with the builder, the relationship started to deteriorate, and Giancarlo was forced to end the contract. “It’s hard because you get close to people and seeing they hadn’t done the level of work that I trusted them to deliver warps your view of the world – you lose trust.”

Fortunately for the team, a new contractor along with his electrician brother took over the project and managed to fix the majority of the issues that were left behind. “The pair of them saved my house – and we’re still friends now!” says Giancarlo.

DESIGN & LAYOUT

Despite this project’s extremely challenging planning and construction phase, the completed two-bedroom bungalow comprises an elegant, neatly formulated design.

Considering the home was in a tight, overlooked space, the exterior had to be carefully considered. As well as digging two metres below the neighbouring garden, it is topped with a butterfly-shaped green roof that almost camouflages the structure, while giving a boost to local ecology. “In summer it’s filled with bees and insects,” explains Giancarlo, “I’ve even seen foxes, cats, and squirrels up there, and it looks beautiful!”

The neighbours have also expressed their fondness for the new addition, with one woman admitting “she sometimes just sits there and stares at it to see what’s going on.”

Adding to its sustainability credentials, an Ecodan air source heat pump powers the underfloor heating in all rooms of the home. “It’s reliable, and as I’m putting energy back onto the grid, I get money off my bills every quarter!”

Helping the building further sit comfortably within its context, the red brick exterior nods to surrounding structures. The landscaping outside the kitchen has been left natural. “When I was growing up, this area was like a wild garden and I have a lot of memories of playing in it, so part of me would like to keep it like that,” explains Giancarlo.

The minimalist interior is suffused with greys and whites with sporadic ‘pops’ of colour here and there. Upon entering through the thick timber front door, you find yourself in a bright, open-plan contemporary kitchen/living space.

Where he could, Giancarlo found second hand or refurbished products to furnish the home, with sustainability in mind. For example, the elegant ex-display Wrens kitchen was bought on eBay. “I found two guys that take kitchens from trade shows and sell them on.” This strategy meant it was only a fraction of its original cost. The centrally positioned Faber extractor fan, which illuminates different colours, was also reused from a nearby project.

The double glazed black framed bifold doors circling the courtyard folds fully open to create a large open plan space with an outdoor seating area. “It’s perfect for parties,” enthuses Giancarlo.

Following the narrow, glazed corridor around the courtyard, past a bathroom, you arrive at the more private section of the home featuring the guest bedroom, master bedroom, and main bathroom. One idea of Giancarlo’s to maximise the space was to install a large sunken bath; he asserts that “it makes the room feel bigger while adding a unique feature.”

The ‘butterfly’ roof enlarges the spaces while also allowing for further glazing on the upper part of the outside walls. In the master and guest bedroom, the bespoke triangular windows allow copious amounts of natural light in.

One of the key aims of the design was to ensure privacy was maintained for all parties in this difficult, constrained site, and he says Bolans have cleverly achieved this. “It’s excellent. I can’t see into other properties, and they can’t see into mine!” explains Giancarlo.

And, with enough hiccups and challenges to put anyone off going the self-build route, Giancarlo says that despite this, he is very happy with the final result.

“The pain I experienced on the project is disappearing more and more over time. You’re going to hit bumps. The thing is just to keep going,” explains Giancarlo. He thanks his father in particular, and the architects, for their support: “I was very lucky to have them,” and concludes that it has all been worthwhile. “It’s a beautiful home: I get reminded of that every time someone comes and sees it.”

HIGH POINT