T: 01752 213460
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Cura Design are one of the first architectural practices in the UK to offer biophilic design services and have over 14 years of award winning architectural design and place making. With over 175 completed projects, we are experts at gaining planning approvals for residential and cultural projects in stunning landscapes, including Para 84e and Para139 residential applications.
The common thread that runs through all our projects are a love of nature, a love of architecture and a love of life.
Cura can be translated in Portugese as "the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again".
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Sun and sea - Southwest England
Residential Projects
"Various design works on a Grade II listed cottage. Cura Design have been moving the scheme through two Planning and Listed Building Applications Robert has brought some fresh and exciting ideas to the Grand Design scheme. He has a wealth of more contemporary design features that have complimented our historical conversion and extension project over the last 2 years" -S. Vitali
"Innovative and agile in problem solving which led to my brief being delivered. Would highly recommend working with Robert Bedner and Cura." - C. Kane
Cura Design have over 15 years experience designing and gaining planning approvals for residential projects in stunning landscapes and countrysides including designated AONB, conservation areas and listed buildings. Below are a selection of current and completed residential projects. Click on the image for further drawings and videos on a given project.
PV Panels and Battery
Rain Water
Harvesting
Infill Dwelling London
Four bed end of terrace infill home in London featuring green walls clad exterior with corten steel framing.
The project has substantial regenerative features that increase biodiversity including green roofs, bee and swift bricks, owl and bat boxes, and a natural swimming pool in the garden.
The project also features ground source heat pump with MVHR system, solar pv and thermal, tesla battery, rainwater harvesting and storage and fabric first insulation technologies in the floor, walls and ceiling.
Ground Source
Heat Pump
Green
Roof
Green
Walls
Natural
Swimming
Pond
PV Panels and Battery
Conversion and Extension Devon (AONB and SSI)
Cura Design gained planning permission for the conversion of an existing 3 bed bungalow into a 4 Bed home with new garage with accomodation above.
​The design makes the most of the existing bungalow and sloping site to create an integral home that maintains the original roof height of the
existing house while creating a new garage and annex ( with a lower ridge height) that is subservient to the home. The design creates a front face and entrance to the home where none existed before. Traditional sash windows and oak frame details and rubble wall details with reclaimed brick reinforce the residential character of the property. The existing solar panels have been removed and new panels are placed on south facing carport roof. The proposal has been designed in a sensitive and sympathetic manner to the existing dwelling and surrounding context. The proposal has refurbished, renovated and extended the existing bungalow in order to create an improved home for the family and is better connected to its surroundings thus promoting well being.
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Existing bungalow
Extension to Grade ll listed home in Buckinghamshire
A contemporary extension to a listed building featuring a glazing system that connects the old to the new, a flint wall with glazed cube bays and exposed oak structure with a corten steel roof and bee bricks and bat boxes.
Ground Source
Heat Pump
PV Panels and Battery
Rain Water
Harvesting
New Dwelling in Topsham Devon (Design through completion)
Cura Design recently completed a new three bedroom house located in the historical town of Topsham in a conservation area. The project has a traditional brick exterior in keeping with the conservation area. The interior is contemporary with a feature hanging staircase that will separate the living and ding spaces from the kitchen. The project has substantial sustainability features including ground source heat pump with MVHR system, solar pv and thermal, tesla battery, rainwater harvesting and storage and fabric first insulation technologies in the floor, walls and ceiling.
Ground Source
Heat Pump
Green Roof aligns with hill
Dark Sky Area
Air Source
Heat Pump
Refurbishment and Extension to Home at the Quontock National Park (Pre Construction)
Cura Design recently gained planning permission for the refurbishment and extension of a Victorian hunting lodge on a small holding in Somerset. The project is located on the edge of the Quontock National Park AONB and was the first area in europe to recieve the international dark skies reserve designation in 2011.
Unique to the project is that one of the Clients is a thermal building fabric expert and the other is a Certified Electrician with structural engineering knowledge. The project is partially self build and includes a good deal of bespoke thermal detailing as well as planned air source heat pump. MVHR system, integrated solar pv membrane roof and a large privacy glass skylight.
Colour of leaves of trees blends
with natural corten steel roof
Vertical larch strips
age naturally
Water Source
Heat Pump
PV Panels and Battery
Replacement Dwelling in Dartmoor National Park (Pre Construction)
Cura Design recently gained planning permission for a replacement dwelling on Dartmoor National Park. The site was previously an equestrian centre with stables, an indoor riding rink and varous outbuildings on a beautiful site in the Park. The project features a corten steel roof which will slowly gain a patina that blends with the woodland and vertical larch rainscreen cladding. Sustainability features include a water source heat pump that runs on a stream on the property and an innovative fabric first cladding system that is close to passivehaus standard including an MVHR system.
Glazing provides feeling of outdoor courtyard
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Refurbishment and extension to Grade ll listed house Devon
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Cura designed and gained planning approval for a subtle extension to a grade II listed house in Devon. The design culminated a long process of discussions and applications with Council Planning and was approved after a presentation was made by Cura Design at Planning Committee. The design consists of three distinct elements: 1. The refurbished cottage 2. Enclosing the historic courtyard with a glazed roof. 3. Refurbishing and extending the historic outbuilding.
Super insulated
Natural
Ventilation
Extension to Townhouse Plymouth - Winner Alan King Award 2009 and Winner Abercrombie Award for Best Minor Development 2011
A small infill extension producing a Yoga Studio at ground floor and childs bedroom above all under a refurbished stair with skylight. The project includes a feature hidden hatch for ventilation in the childs bedroom. The project received local and national awards and was featured in Grand Designs magazine.
Photo: Joakim Boren Photography
Conservation Area
Green
Roof
Super insulated
Refurbishment and three storey extension to waterfront cottage - Newton Ferrers, Devon
A large part of the design involved maintaining and enhancing the existing features of this cottage in the conservation area in a discreet way. The project included substantial excavations and structural consideratons behind the property and difficult access considerations during construction.
The refurbishment of the cotttage includes a new natural slate roof and porch, and new timber period windows in a newly rendered facade in keeping with the terrace.
The entrance hallway leads first past a study and games room and then past a refurbished bread oven and family bathroom to a stair that arrives at the kithen. Seating in the kitchen overlooks the lounge and the views over the river Yealm.The kitchen feaures a walk-on skylight above the island seating area.
Stairs from the kitchen lead to a private studio on the roof with a terrace surrounded by a green roof and garden with views over the river.
Natural light increased for the existing kitchen and bedrooms
House
Extension
Double Storey House Extension, Double Storey Garage Extension and Loft Conversion, Gerrards Cross, South Buckinghamshire
A double storey glazed atrium was created between the existing house and new double storey extension to allow light into the existing upper storey bedroom windows and ground floor kitchen. The masterbedroom area was located on the first floor and accessed via a glazed bridge.
The stair was extended into the the loft area to create additional office space.
The garage was demolished and enlarged to create a three car garage below and games room above.
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Garden Room at seaside conservation area
Contemporary Home Office, Fowey Cornwall
The workshop / studio connects with the seafront view, with new steel gantry access stair and elevation of garden shed with timber cladding and sedum roof. Feature green walls with trellis on existing retaining walls and feature grape vines on overhead trellis
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Adding a green wall can be affordable with stainless stell trellis systems. This trellis system transforms an ugly rear concrete retaining wall into a haven for birds and bats and insects and plants and other wildlife.
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