Planning ahead

Jackie and Darren Brooke replaced an uninspiring 1930s house with an unashamedly modern glass and stone dwelling, with the full support of their forward-thinking neighbours

WORDS HEATHER DIXON PHOTOS COLIN POOLE

THE BROOKE FILE

NAMES Jackie & Darren Brooke

OCCUPATIONS Housewife & construction company owner

LOCATION Yorkshire

TYPE OF BUILD Self build

STYLE Contemporary

CONSTRUCTION METHOD Block & stone

PLOT SIZE 0.5 acres

PROPERTY COST £320,000

BOUGHT 2011

HOUSE SIZE 502m²

PROJECT COST £500,000

PROJECT COST PER M2 £990

TOTAL COST £820,000

BUILDING WORK COMMENCED July 2013

BUILDING WORK TOOK 14 months

CURRENT VALUE £1,250,000

Jackie and Darren Brooke were no strangers to construction when they set about building their current home: Darren is in the industry, and the couple had taken on projects before. They weren’t planning to move from their Georgian-style self build when they spotted a 1930s house for sale in a semi-rural part of West Yorkshire. The dwelling wasn’t to their taste and the interior was basic, but the views at the rear were jaw-dropping, as they framed wide views of open fields sloping up to woodland. This vista also held nostalgic value, as it overlooked a patch of land where Darren used to play as a child. “I rang the seller to make an appointment at 10am and by 5pm we had agreed to buy it,” he says.

“It was the view that captured our imagination,” says Jackie. “We agreed to demolish the current abode and build something very contemporary on its footprint.” As it’s a south-facing plot, they considered harnessing the sun’s warmth by building to Passivhaus standards, but in the end decided to include a raft of eco-elements without trying to achieve the accreditation. They chose a water-based underfloor heating system paired with an efficient boiler, along with extra insulation to help maintain warmth.