New build · Barnet
White Lodge
Close.
A new family home with a basement swimming pool, bringing planning, Building Regulations and structural engineering together on a complex Barnet site.
Planning · Building Regulations · Structural engineering
Project overview
The Project
A replacement detached house at White Lodge Close, off The Bishops Avenue in Barnet, with a basement swimming pool, gym, cinema and wine cellar. The brief combined traditional brick elevations with family accommodation above and leisure space below ground.
The challenge
The basement had to work around protected trees, changing ground levels, a rear pond and terraces above the accommodation. The pool also needed space for plant, drainage, waterproofing and future maintenance access. Each of these requirements affected the architecture and structure.
Our role
ACDS provided planning drawings and amendments, Building Regulation drawings, technical design and structural engineering. During construction, we worked with the builder, piling designer, pool specialist and pumping specialist to resolve design changes and site queries.
- Planning: drawings and revisions for the house, basement, terraces, lightwells and landscape details.
- Technical design: floor levels, construction build-ups, waterproofing junctions and specialist-system interfaces.
- Structure: coordination of the concrete frame, piling, retaining walls, pool and local steel details.
Project stage: planning approved; under construction. The gallery combines exterior photographs, construction progress and design drawings.
Our architectural services cover planning drawings and technical design, with the project-specific structural and Building Regulation work explained below.
Drawings and project imagery
Project Gallery
Drawings and photographs
Explore the plans, design details and progress on site.
Swipe to view drawings
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Planning strategy
Planning & Heritage
Adapting the scheme within a conservation area
The house sits within the Hampstead Garden Suburb Conservation Area. Developing the scheme meant balancing the client’s requirements with the approved building envelope, the character of the setting and the constraints of the site.
We prepared planning drawings and revisions as the design developed. Changes included the basement layout, terraces, external stairs, lightwells, window arrangements and garage rooflights. Each amendment needed to work both as part of the planning submission and within the wider technical design.
The landscape and boundary proposals required further coordination around protected trees. We worked through separate drawing packages and arboricultural information so that the intended works and their relationship to tree roots could be clearly explained. Approvals were secured for landscape and boundary-treatment details, exterior lighting and privacy screens.
For an explanation of this stage, read our guide to discharging planning conditions and the supporting information a council may require.
Spatial design
Architectural Design
A swimming pool with room for the systems behind it
The pool was the centrepiece of the basement brief. Making it usable meant allowing space for plant, drainage, waterproofing and maintenance access alongside the gym, cinema and wine cellar.
We reviewed service-access options with the client, builder and pool specialist, revising the drawings as the approach changed. A change to access could affect the pool structure, adjoining rooms and foundation loads, so those decisions were reviewed together.
Connecting floor levels, terraces and external stairs
Our sections coordinated structural slabs with finished floor levels, insulation, screeds and ceiling zones. At the terraces and external stairs, ground levels and drainage falls had to be resolved above the basement accommodation.
The same drawing package addressed stone surrounds, entrance openings and rooflights. These details link the appearance of the house with the space needed for structure and services behind the finishes.
Engineering coordination
Structural Engineering
Resolving the structure from foundations to facade
Our structural drawings and calculations developed alongside the architectural scheme. We coordinated with the piling designer on pile positions, cut-off levels, capping beams and columns, responding to changes in layout and construction requirements.
Site access and excavation beside the garage added another layer of complexity. Retaining walls, the pool structure and the rear staircase had to work together within the available space, with design information revised as these interfaces were resolved.
Above ground, the stone window surrounds and entrance details created local challenges where architectural proportions met the concrete frame. We reviewed lintel arrangements and alternative steel details around the entrance to reconcile the intended opening height with the structural space available. This was hands-on technical support: reviewing the site query, checking the implications and developing a workable detail with the builder.
Technical compliance
Building Regulations
Coordinating the details that sit behind the finishes
Our Building Regulation drawings brought together the floor, wall and roof build-ups, openings and basement details. As construction progressed, we responded to queries about insulation, the garage rooflight and the junctions between external ground and the accommodation below.
Waterproofing was a key interface. We reviewed the architectural and structural information alongside specialist proposals, including membrane continuity, slab edges, the pool undercroft and sump arrangements. The aim was to resolve these junctions while they could still be coordinated on site.
We also worked with the pumping specialist on the information needed for foul drainage and groundwater collection, including chamber locations, discharge routes, vents, cable ducts and alarms. The specialist consultants and suppliers retained responsibility for their systems; our role was to coordinate those requirements with the building design.
Consent and delivery
Project Outcome
Planning approved; construction in progress
White Lodge Close progressed from planning into construction with continuing input from ACDS. Our work included planning amendments, revised technical drawings and responses to the contractor’s site queries. The gallery documents the exterior and construction progress alongside the architectural and technical drawings.
What the combined appointment brought to the project
The same team could follow a design change through the architectural and structural information. Pool maintenance access affected the structure and drainage; entrance proportions affected the space available for steelwork. We reviewed these relationships with the builder and specialists as the details developed.
For another new-house project, see Marsden Manor. If you are planning a house with a basement, or need technical support for an approved scheme, book a project consultation to discuss the drawings and coordination required.
