4, Victoria Place, Romsey
Builder: Clearstream Construction Ltd/ DPK Contractors and Buildings Services, Southampton
Architects: Neill Beasley/Philip Blencowe of Genesis Design Studio Romsey
Date: 2015 – 2016
The utilisation of the redundant storage space at the rear of the Latimer News to provide a new house and a courtyard garden was the brainchild of Neill Beasley with the work being overseen by Phil Blencowe (Genesis Design Studio). The construction of the new house was made difficult because of restricted access from Victoria Terrace and much of the building work was carried out by using the shop in Latimer Street for access.
The construction of a new two storey house, with an open-plan sitting room and kitchen on the ground floor and an en-suite bedroom above, was achieved by the imaginative use of the space occupied by dilapidated storage rooms at the rear of the old “Latimer News”. Both floors of the new house look out through a north-facing glass elevation onto a delightful, secluded courtyard with access up steps to Victoria Terrace.
After the walls had been constructed, the roof was built using a square of four massive oak beams held together at the corners by means of dragon beams that not only served a structural role but also provided decorative features.
The roof was covered using slates and the Velox windows together with the making for a very light bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and a separate walk-in wardrobe cupboard. On the ground floor, an open-plan kitchen/sitting room with large doors opening out onto the courtyard garden created a sense of great spaciousness. A downstairs toilet was also installed.