Wow factor of “little” house puts Wolverley architect in running for top design award
Original Article – Ledbury Reporter By Gurdip Thandi
AN IMPRESSIVE small house is packing a huge punch for a Wolverley architect who has been shortlisted for a coveted industry award.
Two-bedroomed ‘Little Lodge’ – tucked away off Kinver High Street in the Chenevare Mews shopping mall – has been shortlisted for the West Midlands Local Authority Building Control (LABC) awards in the ‘best individual new home’ section.
The bijou house was designed by 52-year-old Andrea Millner, after she was commissioned to design it by owner marketing and advertising agency boss Samantha Parr.
Architect Andrea Millner (left) and advertising agency boss Samantha Parr outside “Little Lodge”, which has been shortlisted for a design award.
“Little Lodge”, designed by architect Andrea Millner, which has been shortlisted for a design award.
It is based on a small plot – measuring just 10m by 14m and formerly housing a double garage.
And it’s the second time that Andrea, aged 52, has been selected as a contender for the award – she won it in 2014 for her work on a seven-bedroomed house in Alvechurch, near Redditch.
Andrea said: “I’m bowled over to have been shortlisted again – this time for a small, two-bedroomed house which still manages to produce the wow factor, thanks to the way we overcame the restrictions imposed by the site.
“The challenge was to create a private house, on a compact site, without a sense of overlooking or being overlooked, whilst protecting the conservation area and the setting of a Grade II listed building.
“It is a home that sits comfortably in its environment, was completed on budget and within 14 weeks.
Samantha chose the building materials of French oak and specialist bricks and reclaimed roof tiles and the energy-efficient house was manufactured off site and transported piece by piece.
Due to the constriction of surrounding buildings, the house has been “flipped” so that the main, open plan living spaces are upstairs, where the vaulted ceiling allows light to flood down the staircase even to the bedrooms on the lower level.
Samantha said: “I have spent most of my life in Kinver and love the village. I had always wanted to build my own home and had a small piece of land off the High Street which threw up many challenges, including access.
“I am thrilled my new venture Little Lodge is on the shortlist of the LABC Building Excellence Awards.”
The LABC awards will be held on July 7 in Telford and, if successful, Little Lodge will compete at the national grand finals in London on November 10.