The existing house was basically a shell with a stone frontage which had to be retained due to planning restrictions. In order to make this financially viable, as much floorspace as possible had to be "found". Although the existing house was single storey, due to a drop in level to the rear of the building, it was possible with a bit of ingenuity to form 2 semi detached houses with split levels over 3 storeys without disturbing the original roofline.