Location: West Langton, Leicestershire
Architect: JED Design
Description: Kitchen Extension
The current trend for domestic housing is for large open plan kitchens, which adjoin the dining room space. In an existing building this often involves the removal of internal walls and makes up a significant portion of our current workload. Typical of this type of project was the work undertaken on a property in West Langton to convert the cramped kitchen and utility room arrangement of a traditional house into a light, bright, kitchen which flowed into the dining room.
The Architect’s vision was that the open plan area would be framed with an oak structure and large glass panels across the back of the house. Bowden Consulting Engineers were appointed to undertake the structural design of the necessary timber beams and posts.
The main structural consideration was the removal of a significant proportion of the walls to the ground floor, ensuring that they were replaced with a structure that continued to support the first floor structure as well as providing lateral restraint to the rear aspect of the house. Two schemes were provided, a clear span arrangement with a goal post frame and a simpler beam and post arrangement, with a central post that can either be hidden within a partition wall or made into a feature.
Initially the client was reluctant to add a column to the open plan space that had been designed. However, further considerations were given to the practical aspects of installing a 6m beam and a cost comparison exercise undertaken, the beam and post arrangement was chosen.
As can be seen, the column is not obtrusive and was incorporated into the kitchen design and does not hinder the open plan feel of the room.
