Side by side

A phased approach enabled Kate and Andy Stoddart to replace their modest single-storey bungalow with a larger contemporary house in a woodland glade

- Debbie Jeffery

Kate Stoddart and her husband Andy could never be accused of idleness. Having previously extended and reimagined a lacklustre bungalow in an idyllic woodland setting, the couple decided to do it all again — right down to the rooftop hot tub.

“Once again we spotted a small, rather ugly and overpriced bungalow that had been on the market for ages,” recalls Kate. “The secluded one-acre plot had huge potential, though, so — much to our teenage children’s dismay - we decided to take on another major project that would see us all living on a building site for several years.”

CLEVER DESIGN

Kate Stoddart is an award-winning architect and mother of two, who specialises in merging contemporary house design with the practicalities of family life. “I understand how families use spaces, and how personal and intimate an architectural project can be,” she says. “After fully renovating and extending several homes for my own family, I’ve experienced firsthand the excitement, nerves and frustrations a building project can create.”

The two-bedroom 1960s bungalow measured 130m2, so Kate knew she would need to devise a replacement house that was also predominantly single-storey. “Another architect had already established that the loft space could be converted, which was helpful,” she says. “Only our main bedroom, bathroom and dressing room were allowed to be at first-floor level — everything else is on the ground floor.”