Wrap-around extension

The brief

The owners wanted to create a light and spacious open-plan kitchen, dining and living space for their home.

The property

The original property was built in the late the 1800’s and was formerly the West Grinstead station building and ticket office for the now closed railway line. The property retains its original rectangular form and overlooks the disused platforms with views up the old railway line, now the Downslink footpath.
At ground level, the house had a PVC conservatory to the east and a newish single-storey extension to the north containing the kitchen and the bathroom.
There was no adequate living space for the owners, the kitchen was too small for more than one person and there was no usable dining room. Only an upper floor window looked out on to the extensive garden and the only view of the old railway line was from the bathroom window. At the side, the conservatory was only useful for boots and shoes.

The solution

The solution was to remove the conservatory and build an extension to provide a new spacious kitchen and living area. The new extension follows the line of the existing extension, wrapping around the two hidden elevations of the property. Bi-folding doors open up to the garden and glazing wraps around the corner give light and views up and down the Downslink.
Internally the kitchen and dining area is bathed with light from the roof lights, the windows, and the bi-folding doors. There is plenty of space for a kitchen island, masses of kitchen units, a large dining table and room for relaxing as well.

The result

The result is a large, light, airy open-plan kitchen, living, and dining room with views of the garden and beyond. The extension is a modern structure with delicate lines and contemporary materials that compliment the original Victorian station building and ticket office.
Cooking, eating, domestic tasks, chilling, and just enjoying the views have become a shared pleasure. The extension provides the owners with a great social space ideal for supper parties and entertaining family and friends.

Side Extension to Grade 2 Listed House

The brief

The property owners wanted to expand their living space by extending into the underused side-return and creating a combined kitchen & dining room. They also wanted to investigate whether the loft or the basement could be used to increase the floor area of their fairly compact family home.

The property

The property is a small two-storey grade 2 listed terraced house with a two-storey outrigger built in the early 19th century, located in the centre of Brighton. The house fronts directly on to the pavement and to the rear is a small patio/garden area. The property has an original basement and loft space above the pitched roof. The basement has the potential to provide an additional WC and storage but the loft does not have adequate height for any form of conversion.
The property is listed and any works needed both Listed Building Consent and planning approval.

The solution

The side-return enclosed by two-storey high walls on three sides gave the best opportunity to increase the ground floor area. Extending into the side-return would utilise underused space, and would minimise the impact upon the historic fabric of the property and on the neighbours.
A single storey flat-roof extension was constructed in the side-return and the wall opened up between the extension and the existing kitchen creating a combined kitchen & dining room. The flat roof of the extension sits behind a parapet wall, which mirrors the original parapets at the front and back of the house. A warm roof provides the best insulation and avoids the need for cross ventilation. To the rear timber bi-folding doors open out on to the patio and timber double hung sliding sashes replace existing casement windows.
The materials for the walls and the new fenestration match that in the original building. The extension has been set back from the corner of the outshot enabling the original form of the house to read by future generations. Internal piers have been left between the new extension and the old kitchen allowing the original structure to be easily understood.

The result

The extension makes excellent use of the unused side-return. It works well as part of and is integral to the existing house but, it respects the original structure and it can be read as an addition to the historic building. The bi-folding doors provide direct access to the rear patio whilst blurring the distinction between the inside and the outside.
Internally, a stainless steel work-surface links the old and new, it provides a transition space from the kitchen to the dining area and it offers a multi-purpose counter.
The extension has created an additional 8 sq. m. of living space in a house where space was at a premium. Completion of the extension has revolutionised how the owners use the house. They now spend most of their time in the new kitchen/dining room making the most of their additional space and enjoying the afternoon sunlight flooding in through the new doors and window.

Contemporary Rear Extension to Grade 2 Listed House

The brief

The property owners wanted to upgrade or replace their existing cold, cramped and damp galley kitchen and create an open-plan kitchen and dining room built to current standards fit for modern living.

The property

The property is a three-storey grade 2 listed end of the terraced house built in 1827. At the front, the house is directly on to the pavement and to the rear of the principal house was a later built lean-to outshot containing the kitchen. An unused lean-too WC sat in the top corner of the garden. The property has an original basement and a recent loft conversion in the pitched slate roof. The principal part of the house is constructed from a mixture of red and grey bricks and flints. The windows in the house are original timber sliding sashes with thin glazing bars but the kitchen windows were PVC. To the side of the house is a high brick and flint wall forming the boundary between the property and a side lane. The mono-pitched roofs of the kitchen and WC both leaned against the boundary wall, which was in urgent need of repair. The property is listed and any works needed both Listed Building Consent and planning approval.

The solution

The initial proposal was to retain and upgrade the existing kitchen. After listed building consent approval was given it was discovered that the single-skin kitchen walls had no foundations, they were built directly off the soil below and there was no form of damp proofing in the kitchen at all. The kitchen was not part of the original 1827 structure and subsequent listed building consent was given to remove the kitchen outshot and build a new extension across the back of the house.
The extension is designed to compliment the original house but intended to be read as a modern addition. It seeks to respect the historic nature of the principal house and not disturb any of the original features of the house or the brick and flint boundary wall. The side walls are set back from the existing boundary walls and the new roof avoids any historic features on the house.
The extension is a single-storey light-weight timber construction built off strip and slab foundations, keeping their size and depth to a minimum. The materials and finish are traditional but vary from the principal house, it has rendered walls, a zinc roof and metal windows and doors.

The result

Work was completed in the summer of 2017, just in time for the owners impending wedding. The extension sits hidden behind the listed boundary wall and it has transformed their lives, how the house feels and how they use it. They can now cook, eat, socialize or just be, in the warm, light and spacious new room.
Light from the generous sized roof-lights floods the extension, the fine profiles of the metal doors and window open up the house to the rear patio. The external finishes, the window, doors, and roof-lights give the extension a contemporary feel whilst not compromise an important heritage building.
Internally, the owners have created a stylish room that looks and feels modern that works brilliantly for them. Simple lines, minimal complimentary colours and fine detailing finishes off what is in view of the highly skilled and experienced builder “one of my best jobs”.

Rear Extension Replacing Conservatory

The brief

The clients wanted to create a family living area by doing something with the dilapidated and not very usable conservatory and in doing so radically change the feel and look of the back of their home.

The property

The property is a 1900s end of terrace town house. The house is built with red brick, it has predominantly timber windows and doors (some new and replacement PVC windows) and it has red concrete tiles on the pitched hipped roofs. The kitchen was already a reasonable size, with a larger than necessary utility room to its front and to the rear was a conservatory. The conservatory was in a poor condition, its single glazing provided little thermal insulation and the access from the house through the conservatory to the rear garden was awkward. The least attractive and under-used part of the house took up what should have been the best and most utilised part and it created a barrier between the living space and the garden.

The solution

The solution was to remove the conservatory and build a single storey ‘wrap-around’ extension in the side return of the property combined with the replacement of the existing conservatory. The extension follows the building line at the side of the property, leaving the side passageway as a visual and physical barrier between the extension and the neighbouring property. At the side, the extension has solid walls and a glazed roof, whilst at the rear it has wide bi-folding doors making it light and airy and reflecting the conservatory it replaced.
Internally the combined kitchen, dining and living room maximizes the light and aspect at the south-east facing back of the house. The utility room was pushed back into the centre of the house and to give light and ventilation to the rear reception room a new window was inserted into the side wall.

The result

The result is a large, light, airy open-plan kitchen, living and dining room that the family spends as much of their time in as they can. Every part of the room is bathed in light and if you need more rays there is direct and easy access to the garden.
The extension is clearly a modern structure but it compliments and echoes the existing. An internal steel column replaces the original structural corner of the house, the glazed roof reflects the red brickwork above and the pitch of the glazed roof mirrors the pitch of the existing roofs.

“Having employed Martin upon recommendation to design our loft extension in 2002 we had no hesitation in asking him back to design the alterations to the back of the house in 2014. Martin is always enthusiastic and an excellent listener. He understood our brief for function and simplicity and was a pleasure to work with. The result is a kitchen which has a real wow factor when visitors come and yet is totally in keeping with the spirit of a relatively modest property. It has transformed the way we use the house and inspired a renewed love of the garden which is now an integral visual and physical presence in our lives.”

Vasco & Kathryn, Brighton

Rear Extension Replacing Conservatory

The brief

The brief was to create an open-plan kitchen and dining room with a separate utility room and to do something with the not very usable conservatory at the rear of the house.

The property

The property is a 1930s semi-detached house with the rear facing south and the English Channel. The existing galley kitchen had no room to sit down, it lead into the utility room and the garden beyond. The sliding doors divided the dining room from the conservatory were kept firmly shut most of the time. The conservatory with its glazed roof and lack of insulation was too hot when the sun shone and too cold in the winter to be of much use to the clients at all and this part of the house and the utility room created a barrier between the living space and the garden beyond.

The solution

The solution was to remove the conservatory and in its footprint build an extension designed to be part of the house, with bi-folding doors to the rear, insulated to the current standards and a flat roof with roof lights. Internal structural walls were removed to create an open-plan kitchen, dining and living room with direct access to the patio and the sun lit garden beyond. A utility room in half of the old kitchen keeps those essential elements of modern life accessible but out of the way.

The result

The resulting new room is spacious, light, and colourful and the alterations have transformed the feel of the house. Grey units match the new doors and window, a range cooker sits as a centre piece in the cooking area and the space flows from cooking to eating to relaxing and to the outside. The clients have already observed how much warmer the house feels in winter and they have no experience of the build-up of heat from the conservatory. All in all a great improvement to the house.

Rear Extension & Internal Alterations

The brief

With a growing family, the clients wanted to have an open-plan kitchen, living and dining room with good access to the rear garden. They also wanted to make a quiet snug at the front of the house.

The property

The property is a 1930s semi-detached house on the west side of Graham Avenue in Brighton consisting of a hallway, through lounge, downstairs WC and kitchen in the main part of the ground floor of the house. To the rear of the kitchen was a brick single-skin out-house, which opened into an old glazed timber conservatory with doors and steps into the garden.The out-house and the timber conservatory were in a very poor condition, they were of little use to the clients and neither added anything to the aesthetic quality of the property.

The solution

The aim of the design was to build a modern looking extension that was complementary to the existing house but that had some character of its own. The solution was to remove the out-house and the conservatory, replace them with a single storey rear extension across the back of the house and remove the rear structural wall between the extension and house.
The extension used the length of the neighbouring extension as the limit for its depth, taking the extension across the back of the property, whilst allowing for access for construction and maintenance on the party wall side. The extension was designed with a dual pitched roof, it is a more attractive architectural feature, it worked well with the existing first-floor windows and the internal space is open to the roof lines creating a feeling of space and height.
The decking to the rear of the extension accommodates the change in ground levels at the rear of the house and creates an indoor/outdoor space adjacent to the bi-folding doors with steps down to the garden. On the party wall side, a privacy screen ensures the proposals do not impact upon the neighbouring property.

The result

The useless conservatory and utility room are gone and replaced with a great family room where the clients spent almost all of their time. The walk from the tired old galley kitchen through two doors to the dining room is now in the past and the cooking, dining and living experience is shared by all the family in the same room. The bi-folding doors open on to the patio, and the large areas of glazing and the glazed balustrades allow light in and enable a clear view from the extension to all parts of the garden.

“We are delighted with how our extension has transformed the way we use our home, allowing us all to share a contemporary space that suits our lifestyle. Martin was extremely helpful at all stages of the process, providing timely and insightful assistance.”

LT, Brighton

Side extension & Internal Alterations

The brief

The clients have a growing family and they wanted to create a multi-purpose room in the house where they could live, cook, eat, play, socialise and be together as a family. They also required better access and visibility into the garden and a downstairs WC and utility room.

The property

The property is an end of terrace late 1880’s two-storey four-bedroom house. On the ground floor, the kitchen was at the rear of the two storey outshot. The kitchen had a single doorway into the garden and an internal doorway into the dining room located in the centre of the house. As the kitchen was the focus for adult activities the adjacent dining room acted as a playroom and art room for the kids. As an end of terrace the property has a reasonable sized side garden which gave significant opportunity as an area to expand into.

The solution

Squaring off the ‘side return’ and opening up the existing rooms allowed for the creation of a big living space whilst still maintaining good external access down the side of the house. The solution was to build a single storey extension in the ‘side return’ with roof lights, remove most of the structural walls between the kitchen, the dining room, and the extension, insert bi-folding doors to the rear and pop a WC & utility room next to the existing drain run.

The result

The project has transformed the dark dis-jointed back rooms of the house into a light and airy 35 sq. m. kitchen, dining, living and family room. This new space is the hub of the house where everything happens. There is direct and easy access to the garden and a downstairs WC. The kids can play inside and out and the adults can keep an eye on them where ever they are and whatever they are doing.
At the side of the elevation visible from the road, the new masonry follows the form, lines and colour scheme of the existing house and the new window in the utility room matches the existing timber sliding sashes. To the rear the masonry is plain and the bi-folding doors are new and honest.

“Martin took time to fully understand our requirements and desires in transforming our house. The solutions he came up with worked brilliantly; the work took about 4 months in total and has completely transformed the way we live in the house. Furthermore, it will adapt happily to our changing needs as time goes by. We love it.”

Mrs. A. Worthing

Low-Energy Rear Extension

The brief

As the owners move towards a time in their lives where they want to use their home to follow their passions their brief was to create a studio, an office and a storage room in the large rear garden. The extension should be integrated with the current property, future-proofed and encompass triple glazed windows and doors as used in the existing bungalow.

The property

The property is a 1950s detached bungalow. It had a dilapidated garage to the side, and a small front and a large rear garden. The hipped roof is tiled on all four sides, the walls yellow bricks at the base with pebble dash above. Previous work to the bungalow included internal refurbishment, a new porch and the replacement of all the windows and doors with triple glazed PVC units.

The solution

Demolish the garage and replace it with a large (28 sq.m.) single–storey extension following the line of the northern boundary. The extension is linked to the bungalow and has direct access to the rear garden. The level floor runs through from the bungalow to the extension and the wide doorway from the existing to the new allows easy access. A drop in ceiling height in the link marks the boundary between the domestic and the working space.
The AECB Silver standard was used as the benchmark for the detailing and thermal efficiency targets for the extension. The extension has a warm flat roof, PVC triple glazed windows and sliding doors, minimal thermal bridges, good air-tightness and thick cavity walls allowing for 200mm of cavity insulation.

The result

The extension provides a large, light and airy studio, office space, and a big storage room and much of the sunny rear garden remains. Internally, the original space flows through to the extension but is distinct from the residential parts of the property. The AECB Silver Standard keeps the extension warm, in the winter and cool in the summer with very low heating costs. Externally the extension is clearly an addition but the link connects the old and the new and unites the domestic with the workspace. Through the use of matching materials the extension both compliments and reflects the existing form and there is visual harmony.

“We are very grateful to Martin for showing us what’s possible in terms of thermal insulation in a new-build property. Our annex requires surprisingly little heating in winter and, despite being south facing, it doesn’t get overly hot in the summer. He provided impressively detailed specifications for the builder, and when the work was in progress he visited the site regularly, forming a good professional relationship with the builder to facilitate the achievement of what had been planned. We found Martin to be reliable, easy to contact and communicative.”

JS & BM, Brighton

Basement extension

The brief

Turn an unused basement area into an en-suite shower room to give a family with growing teenagers a much-needed extra bathroom and create a balcony.

The property

A three-storey terraced house. The first option was to convert the unused loft, but the ceiling height of the loft was insufficient and the first-floor ceiling could not be dropped. At the back, the house had access to two levels of the rear courtyard, but much of the basement level was taken up with an old WC and store, and the exterior space on the ground-floor level was limited.

The solution

Utilise the space taken up by the old WC by building a basement-level en-suite shower room and using its roof as a balcony.

This necessitated juggling the internal layout to accommodate the new-found space. The basement-level living room and the ground-floor master bedroom were swapped. The living room is now in a lighter and brighter location with better access to the front door. French doors inserted in the rear wall lead from the living room to the new balcony.

The master bedroom now has an en-suite shower room with natural light streaming through glass bricks and sun tubes. A utility room was squeezed in for good measure.

The result

No need for the client to move from the property they loved. Despite limited space, the feel and use of the house has been transformed by utilising the available space more effectively.

Rear Kitchen Extension

The brief

Solve a kitchen crisis. The clients had lived in the house for many years and had extended it to accommodate their needs, but the kitchen remained an unresolved issue – as the estate agent told them “the kitchen was just too small for the house”. The brief was to create a kitchen space suitable for the family. The challenge was to achieve this within the constraints of the site.

The property

A big detached house on a large plot, but with a very small kitchen and only a breakfast bar. The house sits on a sloping site, close to the boundary on both sides, with a short, steep driveway up to the road at the front and an expansive garden sloping quickly away to the rear.

The solution

Planning restrictions to the frontage, the need for a drive-through driveway, and the slope up to the road severely limited the potential for an extension to the front. To the rear, the slope of the land and the clients’ wish to retain the character and balance of the house also limited the potential for an extension.

The solution was to extend at the front and at the back. This entailed pulling the garage forwards by a metre or so and adding a small glazed room to the rear of the existing kitchen, matching an existing extension. The result changes the external appearance very little, but inside the kitchen has been transformed into a workable space.

The result

A full-size kitchen, including space for an American fridge-freezer and eating space for six people. The kitchen has been transformed from a cramped space into a room when the clients can cook and eat and enjoy the views into their delightful garden.