The Townhouse

This traditional Victorian Terrace in a London Conservation Area had retained most of its original features but needed a complete overhaul. We extended the lower ground floor living space by adding a glass conservatory to the side return and knocked through the two main rooms. This provided better connection with the garden and allowed this previously dark floor to be flooded with natural light. The glass roof and sliding doors with minimal framing afforded an uninterrupted view of the sky from this tranquil garden living room.

A beautiful new bathroom was created at first floor level by adding an additional storey to the existing back addition. This was designed to appear as a traditional mansard roof to the rear addition using a cool grey Zinc cladding. The new bathroom is bright and airy yet completely private, affording light through a new skylight and etched glass window.

The loft extension proposal to transform the shallow London roof into a valuable additional storey was a contentious planning issue due to the conservation area restrictions. A sensitive design which could not be seen from the road was carefully negotiated with the planners and successfully approved. The roof had to be meticulously designed and carefully managed on site to ensure its invisibility from the front while maximising space and headroom.  It is set back from the front of the property and rises up towards the rear allowing for loft storage space to the front where the headroom is reduced and a generous head height over the main space for a new bedroom and ensuite bathroom. To the rear, the design was to retain the parapet of the existing butterfly roof and to sit the extension behind it to clearly express the contemporary addition. Large opening windows and a Zinc framing complement the existing materials of the house. The windows fill the room with light and allow a superb view over the surrounding area.

These extensions are simple, modern and minimalist, complementing the existing house rather than attempting to replicate it and to express clearly what is original and what is new.