Rackham Cottage

Development planning

AZ Urban Studio obtained two planning permissions for an isolated site in the Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, one for a large extension to a historic cottage and another for the erection of a contemporarily styled outbuilding within its curtilage.

Following an earlier planning refusal for a larger extension, AZ Urban Studio worked with the project architects to provide justification for additional accommodation which would be acceptable to both the client and the council. Planning permission was granted for an extension which increased the size of the dwelling by 60%, providing a larger sitting room, a larger kitchen and larger bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, and generally improved the living standards for the client and their growing family.

A further application was submitted for the construction of an outbuilding within the curtilage of the residence, to provide a library/study space of approximately 50 square meters. The library was designed to incorporate simple sustainability principles, such as a south-west facing placement for passive solar gain, partial burial to obtain natural insulation, as well as natural ventilation and a green roof. The partial burial also benefited the scheme in that it minimised the impact it would have on the appearance of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, keeping it invisible from the public footpath which runs past the cottage.

The project is one of many complex and ambitious residential extensions for private clients that has AZ Urban Studio has advised on and demonstrates our team’s skill in rural planning issues and sensitive receiving environments.