New Build, Bicester

The Video

The Brief

A self-build client at Graven Hill, Bicester, had secured a serviced plot within the development, complete with pre-installed concrete foundations. They wanted a bespoke three-bedroom home designed for long-term living – efficient, airtight, and finished to a high standard. Their brief centred on a comfortable and practical layout with underfloor heating, excellent insulation, and future-proof energy performance. Accessibility mattered too, with a ground-floor wet room to support independent living as the client aged.

What We Built

Full New Build Construction

Starting from the developer’s foundation slab, Cognitive Construction completed the entire build through to final decoration. This included substructure works to bring the floor up to DPC, full utilities connection (water, gas, electric), and end-to-end delivery of all masonry, joinery, finishes, and landscaping.
Design & Fabric
The home featured a mixed-brick façade of buff yellow and red brickwork with subtle detailing to meet the client’s aesthetic brief. The roof was finished in concrete tiles to complement the surrounding plots. Despite being compact, the property delivers a sense of quality through careful detailing and material choice.
Performance & Detailing
Energy efficiency was a key focus. The structure was heavily insulated and constructed to a strict air-tightness target set by the Graven Hill development. We exceeded that target through enhanced detailing — including a sand-and-cement parge coat internally, additional sealing around all openings, and triple-glazed UPVC windows. The result was an exceptionally airtight and thermally efficient home that surpassed its required test score.
Interior
The home includes a yellow pine staircase, tiled flooring with underfloor heating throughout, and a ground-floor wet room designed for accessibility. The client’s specification emphasised practicality and comfort, combining durable materials with a warm, light-filled interior.
External Works
Cognitive also completed brickwork and hard landscaping to the rear garden, providing the structure and boundaries for the client’s later soft landscaping and planting.

Planning & Compliance

As part of the Graven Hill self-build scheme, planning consent was pre-established via the plot purchase, with individual architectural submissions approved under the development’s design code. The architect who introduced the client managed planning coordination, while Cognitive ensured the final build complied fully with site-wide energy and air-tightness standards.

Delivery Notes

The project was delivered over approximately six months – around twelve weeks to complete the structural shell, with the remaining time dedicated to interiors and finishes. Early sequencing of key trades allowed a smooth flow on-site, from first fix through to final decoration.

Despite its bespoke nature, the build was completed efficiently and within target timeframes, thanks to strong planning and a straightforward approvals process.

Outcome

The finished home is an efficient, comfortable and robust new build with a tangible sense of quality. The high air-tightness level means minimal heat loss and reduced running costs. Inside, the finishes are crisp and modern, while outside the dual-brick palette adds personality within the wider development.

This project also became a live showcase for prospective clients – Cognitive used the completed home to demonstrate the “feel” of a high-performance new build, leading directly to the next commission at Lillingston Lovell.