Blueoak Estates & VELUX

Blueoak Estates & VELUX overcome the odds to rejuvenate a compact development

Hildeburgh House presented a challenge for Blueoak Estates and their architect when it came to optimising the development potential of the site. The existing building was single storey and the plot narrow and deep with other properties to its southern and northern boundary. Working together with the VELUX team of daylight design experts enabled an innovative, light filled, elegant and stylish design solution to be achieved.

“We had to think outside of the box to find the best way to bring light from the outside in and maximise the sites west facing frontage with views across the Dee Estuary to the north Wales coast. ”

Gareth Pritchard, principal of Pritchard Architectural Design (PAD)

Overcoming compactness and constraints of the property

To ensure all apartments took advantage of this, each home was arranged either side of a central core with deep open plan living areas placed on the building frontage.

The roof space was utilised and a double gabled form was introduced to mirror local properties. These gables were fully glazed and inset to create balconies to take advantage of solar gain and shading. The bedrooms were located to the rear of the property with eastern views, leaving the kitchen, dining areas and open plan living space lacking in natural daylight and ventilation.

Conventional VELUX roof windows resolved these challenges in the northern apartment. The southern apartment had greater challenges with a lower gable height, reduced floor space and potential issues of overlooking a neighbouring garden. Raking dormers were introduced to generate additional headroom and floor space with VELUX roof windows placed on a minimal pitch to prevent overlooking.

The positioning of these dormers and VELUX roof windows were carefully considered to assist in defining space within the open plan area and modelled by the VELUX design service to ensure natural ventilation and daylight were maximised.

What could have been dark, compromised spaces with no sense of use were now flooded with daylight and the interior design issues were resolved.

SUSTAINABILITY IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF BLUEOAK ESTATES DESIGN, AND THEREFORE WE INCORPORATE VELUX WINDOWS WITHIN OUR APARTMENTS. NATURAL LIGHT IS PROVEN TO BOOST MOOD, ENERGY AND PRODUCTIVITY AND THAT IS ANOTHER REASON FOR INSTALLING ROOF WINDOWS ON OUR DEVELOPMENTS.

Mike Bryce, Commercial Director at Blueoak Estates

“With hybrid working still as popular as ever, a greater sense of natural daylight and ventilation within the home is still a high priority. Partnering with VELUX ticks both of those boxes.”

Holly Palmer, Marketing Manager at Blueoak Estates

DEFINING SPACES IN AN ELEGANT AND STYLISH WAY

The VELUX solutions enabled Blueoak Estates to optimise the development potential of the scheme by resolving the challenges presented by the site and the roof space apartments, providing them with increased daylight and enhanced natural ventilation.

The design decisions meant they were also able to frame large parts of the building's interior, defining spaces in an elegant and stylish way.

The windows assisted with zoning the open plan areas within the apartments and gave a feeling of space. It's a testament to VELUX roof windows that the plot I'm standing in today, has sold first.

Mike Bryce, Commercial Director at Blueoak Estates

About Blueoak Estates

Blueoak Estates create beautiful spaces where loving memories are made. Every home is distinctive by design and offers an opportunity to live a different kind of lifestyle. They are light, bright, open, and warm with clean, fresh air.

BLUEOAK ESTATES & VELUX