A perfect match on Design for Me… for a wraparound extension
In 2020, Hannah posted her project to Design for Me, looking for a talented architect for a wrap around extension and whole house refurbishment in Battersea, South London. They registered their project with just a few key details and we instantly matched them up with some fantastic residential architects.
After consultations and fee proposals, Hannah chose Jon and Simon (left), based in Southwark, South London.
You can see their profile below to shortlist them for your home building or renovation project:
The brief
The brief for The Finned Extension was to ensure the new addition was full of light with large expanses of glazing, whilst not being overlooked by the adjoining block of flats. The neighbouring building had numerous windows looking down onto the property. We achieved this by using a series of Walnut rafters under the fully glazed roof which are gradually spaced out as you move away from the block of flats, providing more privacy the closer you are to the neighbouring windows, but allowing more light and sky views towards the garden.
Before and after…
Existing ground floor plan
Completed ground floor plan
The design
The whole house was reconfigured to create a large kitchen, dining and sitting area overlooking the compact walled garden at the rear. We left a small courtyard in the middle of the plan to ensure the existing rooms in the centre of the house still had access to light and fresh air and to provide a new window into the existing cellar.
Images by Richard Chivers
The kitchen was designed to tie in with the material of the extension rafters. We used walnut doors with a strong grain which add warmth and texture, contrasting against the more pared back and cooler tones of the floor and worktop finish.
Care was taken in the design of the project to ensure the changes to the building were made sensitively and in keeping with the character of the Conservation Area. Where new elements were proposed, these are of a very high quality and contemporary in nature to ensure they remain clearly readable as new elements.
On the upper floors we completely re-arranged the house to provide a layout that will work for a family long term, with a more practical layout of bedrooms, bathrooms and reception spaces. The main reception room is on the first floor at the front of the house; it retains its original fireplace and there are smaller reception rooms on the ground floor and second floor which can be used flexibly.
At ground floor we used frameless sliding doors to create seamless openings between spaces, creating a strong link from the front door into the new extension, with glimpses of the garden beyond. A new study was formed with views onto the small courtyard and into the extension beyond.
The rear extension is finished with solid slate slabs, quarried in Wales, to create a strongly framed opening into the garden. The outer frame is of smooth honed slate and the window surround has a rougher riven finish. The material was chosen to reference the natural slate roof tiles found on the house and throughout the Conservation Area, using a traditional material in a more contemporary way. Extra tall slim frame sliding doors provide a strong visual link to the small garden space and accentuate the high ceiling.
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