PROJECTS
How we rebuilt a Hampshire hilltop bungalow after a catastrophic fire
The vision
The owners of The Bankcroft – a large 1980s bungalow in St Mary Bourne in Hampshire – returned from holiday to find their home completely destroyed by fire. Nobody knows what caused it, and all that remained was the external brickwork. We were brought in to assess whether the building could be saved, to rebuild it and help the owners put their lives back together.
The details
Overview:
Reinstatement of a large 1980s bungalow
Location:
St Mary Bourne, Andover
Timescale:
20 months
Works included:
- Complete strip out
- Rebuild internal walls and roof
- Rewire and replumb
- Install new boiler and central heating system
- New bathrooms, bespoke kitchen, flooring and decoration throughout.
The challenges
The extent of the damage
As with any fire project, we didn’t know the extent of the damage until we’d stripped everything out. At The Bankcroft, the damage was so severe it was a question of whether we could save the building at all. In the end, the only thing salvageable was the external walls. Everything else – the roof, internal walls, electrics, plumbing and heating – needed to be rebuilt and reinstalled.
Getting materials to the site
The property was on a hill in a small village, up a steep, narrow access road with a sharp bend. This meant lorries or vans with an overhang couldn’t make it up and made getting materials to site rather tricky. To make sure we had what we needed on site, on time, we had to plan every delivery meticulously. This often meant collecting materials ourselves or arranging for deliveries to be split and come on smaller lorries. The roof proved particularly challenging, but after a visit from the crane company to check if a smaller crane could make it up, we managed to get it there on time.
The people
Support throughout the process
To make sure the clients felt comfortable and supported throughout the rebuild, our team went above and beyond to accommodate requests to make sure the final result was something they could truly be happy with. This was always about more than just restoring a building – it was about giving them back their home.
A warmer and more efficient home
The rebuild also meant we could add extra insulation throughout the property – 400mm in the loft space, cavity insulation in the walls, and insulated back plasterboard. This brought the property up to modern standards and helped make the home warmer and more energy efficient than it was before the fire.
A chance for a fresh start
The owners decided to use the rebuild as a chance to make improvements. We had to rebuild the internal walls anyway, which meant we could change the layout without too much extra work. We repositioned windows, and installed upgrades like solid oak doors and a beautiful bespoke pink kitchen. It also meant they could specify details like sink height and mirror placement. All small improvements that would help the house feel like theirs again.
The impact
Almost two years after the fire, we handed over the keys with champagne and smiles all round. Now cosier and redesigned to better suit their needs, the owners have finally got their home back, and the fresh start they needed.
"As senior project manager overseeing bringing 174 void houses back online, my job was to make sure everything ran smoothly, on time and on budget. Chris and PAH really helped with that. They’re a very helpful company with excellent quality standards and H&S practices – the sort of company where you can relax and know the job will be done, and done to an excellent standard.What mattered most to me was client satisfaction. These are service personnel coming back from deployment, and when we did the walk-arounds with the MOD and DIO after completion, they were very impressed. We guarantee the houses for a year, and anything that came up, PAH dealt with it quickly. Every single service person was really impressed with both the standard of the homes and the aftercare."
David Days
Senior Project Manager, Mitie