New Gable Extension, Timeless Dartmoor Character
A Project By: MKH Architects
Location: Bovey Tracey, Devon, United Kingdom
Project Summary:
Set within the beautiful landscape of Dartmoor National Park, this project delivers a sensitively designed extension and internal alterations within the built environment. Featuring a new porch and a larger first‑floor gable‑end addition with generous glazing, the scheme enhances the home while remaining fully in keeping with Dartmoor’s traditional character and setting.
Project Detail:
This project is set within the remarkable landscape of Dartmoor National Park, where any architectural intervention within the built environment must be approached with care, sensitivity, and a deep understanding of local character. The existing property is a traditional home with strong ties to Dartmoor’s vernacular, and from the outset our client expressed a clear ambition: the new elements should look as though they had always been part of the building. This guiding principle shaped every design decision, from massing and proportions to materials and detailing.
The proposal introduces two key additions — a new porch and a first‑floor gable‑end extension featuring a prominent gable with generous glazing. While these new spaces enhance the home’s functionality and natural light, their visual integration was paramount. Designing within Dartmoor National Park means working within a framework that prioritises traditional forms, natural materials, and harmonious proportions, principles that hold true across the built environment more broadly. Our approach embraced these principles fully, ensuring the extension sits comfortably within its surroundings and respects both the existing dwelling and the wider landscape.
Material selection was central to achieving the seamless, “always been there” appearance the client desired. We specified reclaimed roof tiles, carefully sourced to match the tone, texture, and weathering of the existing roof. This not only supports sustainable construction practices but also ensures the roofscape reads as one coherent form. The external walls are finished in a matching render, chosen to replicate the colour and finish of the original façade. Traditional detailing — including soffits, fascias, and rainwater goods — was mirrored to maintain consistency across old and new elements. These choices allow the extension to blend quietly into the existing architecture rather than stand apart from it.
The new porch, though modest in scale, plays an important role in redefining the entrance sequence. Its design draws directly from local architectural cues, using simple, robust forms and materials that echo Dartmoor’s traditional buildings. The porch enhances the home’s functionality while reinforcing the sense of arrival, offering shelter and a more defined threshold without disrupting the established character of the property.
Internally, the alterations were designed to improve circulation and create a more cohesive relationship between the existing rooms and the new extension. The first‑floor gable‑end addition introduces valuable space and natural light, with carefully positioned glazing that frames views of the surrounding landscape. Although the glazing is generous, its placement and proportions were carefully considered to remain sympathetic to the building’s traditional aesthetic. The result is a space that feels both contemporary and rooted in its context, a balance essential when designing responsibly within the built environment of a protected landscape.
Throughout the project, our design philosophy centred on quiet, respectful architecture: interventions that enhance a home without drawing undue attention. The extension’s rooflines align with the existing structure, the gable form mirrors traditional Dartmoor profiles, and every junction between old and new has been handled with care. The aim was not to create contrast, but continuity — a design that feels natural, familiar, and timeless.
This project demonstrates how thoughtful, context‑driven design can deliver modern comfort while preserving the character of a cherished home within the built environment. By blending reclaimed materials, matching finishes, and traditional detailing, the new elements appear embedded within their surroundings, as though they have always belonged. It stands as a clear example of how contemporary living can be achieved without compromising heritage, landscape sensitivity, or visual harmony.
