A Cold War nuclear bunker is probably not the first thing you would think of when considering buildings for conversion into a home of any kind, let alone a luxury home, but you may be surprised as that is exactly the basis of a £3m home which is now up for sale.
The home in Chislehurst, Kent used to be a bunker where government officials could hide in the event of nuclear attack during the Cold War period, which fortunately never proved necessary. It was one of four Regional Control Centres in the London area and featured a map room, dormitory, showers and stores for food and water as well as diesel generators to provide electricity and power for communications and air filtration.
The Cold War period came to an end around 1991, and after that time the bunker was no longer maintained, falling into disrepair.
In 1998 the building was bought by estate agents Piermont, and within two years it had been converted into a luxury home named 'The Glasshouse'. The extensive conversion included the need to cut windows through the five foot thick concrete walls, each of which required three days of work by a two tonne cutting machine!
The house gets its name from the addition of a huge glass roof which sits above the centre of the property which now features a swimming pool along with four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a host of high-tech features. The glass roof can be opened, lights and curtains controlled and visitors welcomed, all remotely via a touch-screeen interface.
The home may be nearly unrecognisable from its former use, but has saved a derelict building with an interesting history and proves what can be achieved with an open mind and a selection of good tradespeople!
More details about the building and conversion can be found here on the Subterranea Britannica website.
Find out more about Trust a Trader Finance and Trust a Trader Insurance. Part of the Trust a Trader Brand
No comments:
Post a Comment