Building a new home wasn’t particularly on the agenda for Nicola Robinson and David Carr when they started browsing online at various properties in their hometown of Woking.
But their interest was piqued when they came across a dilapidated 1940s bungalow on a road they had always liked, just a couple of miles out of the centre of town.
“David was away working in Athens at the time so I went out to view it and although the price seemed quite high for what it was, it was an obvious candidate for a rebuild project,” says Nicola. “It had been on the market for a long time and looking into it further, we found that it was on a green belt where possibilities for building a new home could be restricted.”
Article continues belowProject details
- Location Woking, Surrey
- Project Self-build detached
- Build route Construction contract
- Build cost £1.1m
- House size 268sq m
- Architect Kate Stoddart
Planning hurdles
Undeterred by the potential complications, the couple took planning advice to reassure themselves that the kind of self-build they wanted would be possible, and subsequently put in an offer, which was accepted.
But the process was far from plain sailing – the existing property was a bungalow and the planners were reluctant to accept anything of a greater height, even though the newer neighbouring houses had several storeys.
Finally, in February 2022, two and a half years after buying the plot, planning permission was granted after going to appeal. When initially looking for an architect, the pair were intent on finding a local firm and after meeting Kate Stoddart, they felt her style chimed with their own.
"She was with us from the start and it was Kate who recommended the planning consultants we used in the early stages," says Nicola. "We liked the fact that she was straightforward and didn’t try to make you feel she was dealing in mystic arts that you wouldn’t understand."
It also helped that Nicola and David had their own ideas about the style of home they wanted, namely "something contemporary and modern, not a pastiche of a period style," as David puts it. "Basically we were after a clean design that worked, and which maximised the light and the great views."
Another main requirement was for several living areas on the ground floor, each with the ability to interconnect.
Option for a design
The result of the collaboration was a two-storey house that is architecturally distinctive for its bold geometric form – a series of cuboids in dark brick and with vertical timber cladding.
"Its refined detailing has been designed to add a quiet elegance, plus it has generous proportions without being too dominant for its setting," says Kate Stoddart. "Compared to nearby traditional designs it really allows inhabitants to fully enjoy everything this green belt site has to offer."
Although Kate had presented her clients with plans in several other styles, the cuboid version was a unanimous choice, for practical as well as aesthetic reasons.
"With boxiness you get better upstairs space," says David. "You don’t have to make compromises around features such as dormer windows or because of awkward corners and walls. Also, the flat roof was the ideal way to make the most of the building’s height by providing opportunities for rooflights and adding further height to key areas, as well as concealing 20 solar PV panels."
Eco requirements
Sustainability is integral to the design, too, but achieving it wasn’t necessarily a straightforward process.
"From the start we’d decided we wanted an A rating for energy efficiency but after we began the project there was a change in the rules regarding how energy efficiencies are rated," says David.
"It made an A rating harder to attain but by tightening up on several aspects at the construction stage, we achieved it. A lot of it was about getting the airtightness right, which called for a bit more rigour upstairs, it being a timber structure."
Visible signs of the home’s eco credentials include the stunning polished concrete floor embedding wet underfloor heating, which is powered by an air source heat pump.
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) ensures year-round fresh air with minimal heat loss, while solar panels offset energy consumption, supporting low-carbon living.
"We were also going to have triple-glazed windows but we found a double-glazed option with similarly impressive solar gain qualities, with the added benefit of being more slimline," says Kate. "Unfortunately it’s not great for David’s attempt to grow tomatoes indoors as he says it cuts out the solar wavelengths needed for photosynthesis."
Interior style
It’s credit to Nicola and David’s own sense of style that the ground floor embraces flexible living, with a kitchen island and full-height sliding doors that open onto the garden.
Helping the indoor and outdoor spaces flow seamlessly, this sense of continuity is created by paired metal-frame double doors facing each other across the hallway, which draw you across the main living areas.
In turn, the siting of the glass sliding doors onto the patio open up and allow free circulation across the internal and external spaces. Now firmly established in a home that exemplifies spatial clarity, craftsmanship and environmental responsibility, the couple give credit to both the architect and the builder for the end product.
"Marcus at Eight Building works with Kate a lot and between them they came up with many creative ways of achieving good results, saving us a good deal of money in the process," says David.
"One of the things we love most about this house is that when you stand back and look at it, whether from the front or the back, it has a lot of presence without being too big – that’s clever design," David concludes.
The design was a clearly a hit with our audience too, as the project scooped the Readers' Choice Award in the public vote for the 2025 Homebuilding & Renovating Awards.
For more inspiration, explore this converted substation tower in Cornwall with sweeping countryside views, or this Manhattan-inspired loft conversion in London.
