Terraced house ripped apart before being transformed into an award-winner

HAVING building work done to your home can be stressful, especially when you are still living at the property, and in 2022 one family in Penarth were about to experience losing the whole rear section of their home while staying on site during the demolition and rebuild.

- Property editor Joanne Ridout reports

But after nine months of living next to the project, Vale of Glamorgan-based Atlantic Dwellings Limited has created a stunning and surprising double-storey dream extension for them that has not only changed how they live but has also won a prestigious award for its creativity and build quality.

The visually beautiful and yet practical rear extension to the traditional terrace home has been crowned the best medium-sized renovation project in the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Cymru 2025 awards, described by one of this year's judges as "an impressive project that stands out from the crowd".

But just as important to the project as the design and attention to the build that the award recognised is a company's relationship with the clients, especially if, such as in the case of the Penarth terrace, they stay living at the site while the project is delivered, often including demolition at the start of the transformation process.

Along with fellow director Paul Tedder at Atlantic Dwellings Limited, Christian Bowerman explains that the ethos of the construction company is to have the highest regard for the clients during the project, that they are at the core and that communication is key.

He says: "Caring for the family and respecting the spaces that you leave them on site to live in we are always very considerate of this. We always install a temporary kitchen so essentially they can try and live their lives as normally as possible while the work goes on, so typically transplant their existing dishwasher, worktop, sink, oven and microwave, whatever we possibly can and suggest they buy a portable induction hob too.

"Whilst they do have to accept that their living space is reduced, they don't feel displaced, they are still living in the home.

"Broadly, it's about a lot of care and consideration and treating the home you are in as if it were your own and it is your own family.