Retain and reuse

The outskirts of many British villages grew rapidly in the 1960ties, due to changes in urban design regulations, resulting in a large number of good plots with outdated, mostly single-storey buildings entering the market over the past few years While most of the new owners tear down the houses and start from scratch, some embrace a more environmentally conscious approach during the process.

Such was the case with the clients of Charlie Luxton Design, who approached the office after purchasing a piece of land in the Cotswolds have imagined building an entirely new house. But Charlie Luxton – in line with his belief to do architecture in an environmentally conscious way – persuaded them to use at least the existing foundations.

"Here we used the automatic version of Integra window: they work well and are reliable, they are often a part of our projects. I am not for making life easier just for one owns comfort, but as some people might not be aware enough to regulate the indoor climate by themselves, technology in the form of an automatically steered roof window gives a helping hand. It’s great when we can use it to lower the energy consumption and enhance the living conditions at the same time. I’m all for intelligent support, which does not imply disconnecting from nature nor giving up control. It’s important to be able to open a window oneself in the morning and listen to the birds singing.” explains Charlie Luxton.