Hayhurst & Co’s Norfolk bungalow revamp has star quality

Walking up and out from the centre of Cromer, a seaside resort on the north Norfolk coast, you encounter a generic postwar suburb with a jumble of standard house types and, near its crest, a 1980s brick bungalow with gabled roofs. To one side of its H-plan, a smallish extension with a ‘hobbit-like elevation’ – architect Nick Hayhurst’s words – has recently appeared.

Wrapped around one wing of the original building, this new addition has a distinct character bestowed by a tightly packed flint dressing, without the usual brick quoins. Two large picture windows give glimpses into – and through – the structure, while an angled chimney stack rises above, undercutting the modernity of the plate glass. For those with a Tolkien-free childhood, a crofter’s cottage might be a more telling comparison.

Purchased by Hayhurst’s parents in 2017, the bungalow’s considerable yet untapped potential has been unlocked at a modest cost – little over £2,000 per m². Internally, it has been entirely stripped out, insulated and remodelled, with a portion of its floorplan opened up and one wing expanded, taking a starlike form. At the centre of the original plan, a slim kitchen has been inserted. New, south-facing sliding glass doors ensure its inviting atmosphere, assisted by the removal of a rear conservatory; a small external shade tempers direct sun.

Another full-height glass door and ribbon glazing wind around the adjoining dining area, which occupies one of the star’s points, aiding the creation of an ‘outdoor room’ where the conservatory once stood. All these spaces share attractive views of the garden rising behind the site (it has a fall of one in six), and of East Wood at the top.

Despite the social pleasures of the open plan – Hayhurst’s parents claim a record of 23 guests – the new living space has internal distinctions that allow for retreat. On one side of the wood-burning stove, past a side-facing picture window, a cosy TV area-cum-guest bedroom occupies the original north-facing front bay. On the other side, a raised and shelved reading area incorporates the other picture window. Both spaces benefit from wide, freshly revealed views over Cromer towards the North Sea, where the occasional tanker loiters.

As well as exposing these diverse views, which led to the property’s rechristening as North Sea East Wood, the remodelling delivers light and scale. Above the kitchen is a large dormer window framing a rectangle of forest and providing welcome height. Moving through to the new space, the original roof has been opened out to create a large cone-shaped void with a carefully placed skylight.

Apart from light and space, the results are a stack effect and an engaging silhouette, but the roof retains its timber frame – sustainability was prioritised throughout the project. To one side, a standalone garage was removed to expand both garden and outlook, but its walls provided hardcore for the extension’s slabs while its clay tiles were reused as cladding in place of flint on the extension’s flank. Another batch of its tiles covers the tacky faux woodwork of the original gables.

The project isn’t flashy but it has character and dignity amid its anonymous neighbours, and transforms the bungalow into a delightful and adaptable new home for its retired owners, whether enjoyed on their own or shared with visitors. On reaching my own home, I find my recording of Hayhurst’s tour of the property has failed, but really, North Sea East Wood speaks for itself.

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In numbers: 

Gross internal area 153m²
Annual energy use 113 kWh/m²
Annual gas use 20.6 kWh/m² 
Potable water use 78 litres per person per day