January 2016.

This is one of the largest and most complicated designs Capital A has produced. The original property was a 1960’s bungalow which had been unoccupied for several years. The previous owner had converted the attic into an artists studio, complete with two of the weirdest looking dormers ever built.

The new owner has a very different lifestyle and commissioned Capital A to reimagine the entire house. Any well designed home should have a clear divide between public and private areas. The design placed all the bedrooms in the existing bungalow and created a new kitchen / living / dining area, which is also the main entrance for the house.

The site is on a steep slope, which allowed the new extension to be split over several levels. The new living area is on the same level as the new entrance and opens onto the rear garden via a sheltered deck. The new kitchen and dining area are above this, on the same level as the existing ground floor. Overlooking the open plan space is a gallery which cantilevers over the rear garden forming the sheltered deck. The new front door is also covered by a cantilever which provides shelter and leaves you in no doubt where the entrance is.

The extension is a significant addition to the house, it adds over 50% to the floor area and is an uncompromisingly modern design which could have clashed with the existing bungalow. To avoid this, and to bring the overall composition together, the master bedroom dormer has a cantilevered canopy which opens to a balcony running the length of the house. The proportion of the dormer and the steel columns supporting the balcony match the rhythm of the extension exactly, unifying the overall elevation.

This project was more than a house extension, it created a totally new house. The design is a great success, the client loves their new home. For more details see this blog post.

The project was awarded BUILD magazine’s Best UK Contemporary House Extension 2017.