Whole house refurbishment in Montpelier, Bristol

This project was undertaken by develeco, archipeleco’s sister company, which was set up by Paul and Lucy to develop property in the Bristol area using green building practices. The house was derelict when purchased at auction and had been squatted previously. At its core, the house was a solid and attractive end of terrace Victorian house but was in need of serious rescue work.

archipeleco realised that the house would make an attractive family home if the layout problems were addressed. The house had been carved up into small rooms and had suffered a succession of poorly built back extensions. By removing the internal walls that divided up the back of the house, a flow of space was created linking the living, kitchen and dining areas. New window openings were then formed to bring light into the dining area and form a better connection to the garden. To create space for the dining area, the existing bathroom had to be moved upstairs and the chimney breast removed. This had the added benefit of getting the bathroom upstairs next to the bedrooms. A new cloakroom was inserted beneath the stair on the ground floor and new efficient heating and electrical systems were installed. Once complete, the home was sold on.