Creative Roof Redesign & Extension Concepts
Budget: £20 – £250 GBP
RESIDENTIAL ROOF AND EXTENSION DESIGN BRIEF
Location: Nottinghamshire, England, UK
PROJECT SUMMARY
We own a detached single storey brick house in rural England. The house has a large traditional sloped roof (hipped roof) covered in red/brown clay tiles. The roof is old fashioned in appearance and much of the space inside the roof is wasted. We want to redesign the roof and/or add extensions to create more living space.
We are looking for creative concept designs. We will use these designs to get feedback from the local government planning office before we submit a formal planning application. Bold and modern ideas are welcome.
ABOUT THE PROPERTY
Single storey brick house with a large sloped hipped roof
Red/brown brick walls
Grey UPVC windows and doors (recently updated)
Grey roller garage door on the front
A glass conservatory attached to the rear (this will be demolished)
Large garden and grounds surrounding the property
Open countryside views on all sides
One neighbouring property nearby
Inside the roof space there was 2 large bedrooms and 1 box room. Most of the roof space cannot be used because the roof slopes down too low at the edges.
We will provide the following drawings to selected designers:
Existing floor plans
Existing elevation drawings (front, back, sides)
Existing roof plan
Site plan
Photos of the property from all sides
WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE
Minimum requirement:
2 additional bedrooms , one to include walk in wardrobe space.
1 additional bathroom (en-suite) can be juliette style
These should ideally be created within or above the existing roof area
We are open to exploring any of the following ideas:
Replacing the existing sloped roof with a modern flat roof
Adding a roof terrace (outdoor space on top of the roof)
Converting the sloped sides of the roof to vertical walls (called hip to gable) with new windows in the roof (called dormers)
Adding new windows in the rear roof slope only
Adding a rear single storey extension after the conservatory is removed
Any other creative solution that adds usable living space
We welcome multiple design options in one submission.
DESIGN CONSTRAINTS — PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
These are rules we must follow. Designs that ignore these rules cannot be used.
KEEP ADDITIONAL VOLUME SMALL
The house must not become too much bigger than it originally was. This is a legal requirement in this location. Please try to make the most of the existing roof space rather than adding large new structures. Where you do add new volume, keep it as small as possible while still achieving the brief. Please include an approximate calculation of how much new volume your design adds.
REAR AND SIDE CHANGES ARE PREFERRED
Changes to the back and sides of the house are more likely to be approved than changes to the front. If your design includes changes to the front roof, please show this as a separate option so we can test it separately with the planning office.
HEIGHT
The highest point of any new roof should not be significantly taller than the existing roof ridge height.
RURAL SETTING
The house is surrounded by farmland and countryside. Designs should look appropriate in this setting. If you use modern materials such as zinc, steel or large areas of glass, please include a short explanation of why this works in a countryside location.
MATERIALS
The house is currently brick with clay roof tiles. New materials should either complement this or provide a deliberate and considered contrast. Please briefly explain your material choices.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
Concept designs only — not construction drawings. We need enough detail to show the planning office. Specifically:
Floor plans showing where the new bedrooms and bathroom will be
Elevation drawings showing the outside appearance from front, back and both sides
At least one 3D view or rendered image showing how the finished house will look, ideally from the rear garden and from the front
A short paragraph explaining your design idea and why it suits a rural countryside setting
An approximate figure for how much new volume (in cubic metres) your design adds to the existing roof structure
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Property type: Detached single storey brick bungalow with partial upper floor
Country: England, UK
Purpose: These designs will be shown to the local planning office to get their feedback before we apply for permission to build. We are testing ideas, not submitting final plans.
Timeline: Initial concepts required within 1 week.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit:
Examples of similar residential projects you have designed
Your proposed approach to this project
Your fee and how long it will take
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR DESIGNERS
This house has previously had a planning application refused. We are not asking you to copy the old design. We want completely fresh ideas. The planning office feedback process exists specifically to test new concepts, so creative and modern designs are very welcome. The only rules you must follow are the five constraints listed above.
We will share full drawings and photos with designers who are selected.
Location: Nottinghamshire, England, UK
PROJECT SUMMARY
We own a detached single storey brick house in rural England. The house has a large traditional sloped roof (hipped roof) covered in red/brown clay tiles. The roof is old fashioned in appearance and much of the space inside the roof is wasted. We want to redesign the roof and/or add extensions to create more living space.
We are looking for creative concept designs. We will use these designs to get feedback from the local government planning office before we submit a formal planning application. Bold and modern ideas are welcome.
ABOUT THE PROPERTY
Single storey brick house with a large sloped hipped roof
Red/brown brick walls
Grey UPVC windows and doors (recently updated)
Grey roller garage door on the front
A glass conservatory attached to the rear (this will be demolished)
Large garden and grounds surrounding the property
Open countryside views on all sides
One neighbouring property nearby
Inside the roof space there was 2 large bedrooms and 1 box room. Most of the roof space cannot be used because the roof slopes down too low at the edges.
We will provide the following drawings to selected designers:
Existing floor plans
Existing elevation drawings (front, back, sides)
Existing roof plan
Site plan
Photos of the property from all sides
WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE
Minimum requirement:
2 additional bedrooms , one to include walk in wardrobe space.
1 additional bathroom (en-suite) can be juliette style
These should ideally be created within or above the existing roof area
We are open to exploring any of the following ideas:
Replacing the existing sloped roof with a modern flat roof
Adding a roof terrace (outdoor space on top of the roof)
Converting the sloped sides of the roof to vertical walls (called hip to gable) with new windows in the roof (called dormers)
Adding new windows in the rear roof slope only
Adding a rear single storey extension after the conservatory is removed
Any other creative solution that adds usable living space
We welcome multiple design options in one submission.
DESIGN CONSTRAINTS — PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
These are rules we must follow. Designs that ignore these rules cannot be used.
KEEP ADDITIONAL VOLUME SMALL
The house must not become too much bigger than it originally was. This is a legal requirement in this location. Please try to make the most of the existing roof space rather than adding large new structures. Where you do add new volume, keep it as small as possible while still achieving the brief. Please include an approximate calculation of how much new volume your design adds.
REAR AND SIDE CHANGES ARE PREFERRED
Changes to the back and sides of the house are more likely to be approved than changes to the front. If your design includes changes to the front roof, please show this as a separate option so we can test it separately with the planning office.
HEIGHT
The highest point of any new roof should not be significantly taller than the existing roof ridge height.
RURAL SETTING
The house is surrounded by farmland and countryside. Designs should look appropriate in this setting. If you use modern materials such as zinc, steel or large areas of glass, please include a short explanation of why this works in a countryside location.
MATERIALS
The house is currently brick with clay roof tiles. New materials should either complement this or provide a deliberate and considered contrast. Please briefly explain your material choices.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
Concept designs only — not construction drawings. We need enough detail to show the planning office. Specifically:
Floor plans showing where the new bedrooms and bathroom will be
Elevation drawings showing the outside appearance from front, back and both sides
At least one 3D view or rendered image showing how the finished house will look, ideally from the rear garden and from the front
A short paragraph explaining your design idea and why it suits a rural countryside setting
An approximate figure for how much new volume (in cubic metres) your design adds to the existing roof structure
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Property type: Detached single storey brick bungalow with partial upper floor
Country: England, UK
Purpose: These designs will be shown to the local planning office to get their feedback before we apply for permission to build. We are testing ideas, not submitting final plans.
Timeline: Initial concepts required within 1 week.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit:
Examples of similar residential projects you have designed
Your proposed approach to this project
Your fee and how long it will take
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR DESIGNERS
This house has previously had a planning application refused. We are not asking you to copy the old design. We want completely fresh ideas. The planning office feedback process exists specifically to test new concepts, so creative and modern designs are very welcome. The only rules you must follow are the five constraints listed above.
We will share full drawings and photos with designers who are selected.