year: 2016
Location, Clockhouse, Beckenham
Sited along a quiet street in Beckenham, this large terrace house occupies an unusually wide, wedge-shaped plot. The clients for many years undervalued the wedged-shape land to the property’s flank, using the space for a bike shed and bin store. A dilapidated conservatory made attempt to habit the space, however due to the exhausted nature of the conservatory, this too became a store.
The original brief from the client was aimed at increasing the size of the kitchen to accommodate their growing family, however when investigating the site the potential became clear to adopt and utilise the seemingly dead-space to the flank, substantially increasing the ground floor living accommodation.
The works involved complicated structural adjustments to the existing house, retention and rebuilding of the London stock brick plus the introduction of a large glass and corten steel extension to the rear and side. At the core of the extension, a frameless glass courtyard keeps revealed the existing house whilst allowing south light to enter the extension.
Post concept, the design brief focused on quality of detailing and construction. Precision construction methods were required to satisfy the difficult design detailing, ensuring the extension remained coherent to the house, albeit adopting a completely different material palette.