Residential – Seaside Place, Aberdour

Two-storey extension and complete renovation and retrofit of an existing semi-detached mews property in the seaside town of Aberdour.

The property is located within the local Conservation Area. Historically, the house would have been occupied by the owners of the main house during the summer months, when they could let out their primary dwelling to holidaymakers. It is now a separate residence, but had been vacant for several years and had fallen into disrepair.

Our client obtained consent in 2019 to demolish the house and build a new one to Passivhaus standards. However, COVID restrictions halted the project at that time, and post-COVID construction costs proved prohibitive - partly due to demolition expenses and the site’s difficult access via a narrow, steep lane.

We adopted an alternative approach, retaining the majority of the existing structure while retrofitting the existing floors, walls, and roof with high-performance insulation, replacing all windows and external doors, and constructing new extensions to current standards. This approach minimized material sent to landfill and preserved the building’s embodied energy.

We also rethought the design layout, literally turning it upside down, with bedrooms and a bathroom on the ground floor, and an open-plan kitchen and living area on the upper floor. This reconfiguration provides wonderful glimpses views of the sea between neighbouring houses and creates a bright, light-filled space on the upper floor.

At ground level, an external space was carved out to form a private courtyard garden off the master bedroom. Here, our client can fully open the windows and doors and listen to the waves lapping against the beach.

Renewable Technology
An air-source heat pump provides underfloor heating on the ground floor, a single radiator on the upper level, and domestic hot water. Solar PV panels will be added in a later phase of works, along with additional metal cladding and external insulation at first-floor level, when the budget allows