Mezzanine in Grade 1 Listed Basement

The brief

The owners wanted to increase the living space in the flat and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the double height original kitchen (now the main living room for the flat).

The property

The original house, now sub-divided into flats, is one of the four large corner houses in Sussex Square. Until fifteen years ago much of the basement area was un-inhabitable storage with flagstone floors.
Works in 2005 created the flat as it now exists and it is one of two flats located in the basement of the house. The property occupies the original kitchen for the whole house, the servant’s stairs from the basement to the ground floor and some of the basement storage and food preparation rooms.
The property retains a number of original features including a double height kitchen, the original cast iron range, a large timber sliding sash window in the kitchen and York stone stairs leading from the ground level to the basement. A mezzanine gallery at ground floor level, created as part of the earlier refurbishment works, overlooks the double height living room.

The solution

The solution was to extend the mezzanine into one end of the double height living room with access to it through an existing but blocked up opening at ground floor level. The mezzanine has been designed to minimize the impact upon the historic structure of the building with a simple cantilevered structure, no supporting posts, and a frameless glass balustrade.

The result

The mezzanine structure is in place and the work is yet to be finished but already it opens up the flat, creates more space and gives a wonderful new perspective into the old kitchen.
The new structure respects the form, volume, and feel of the original double-height kitchen whilst allowing it to be read as a modern addition to this historic house.

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”.

Alterations to Grade 2 Listed Flat

The brief

Change, replace or alter the existing three pairs of French doors and one window to provide workable ventilation for all the habitable rooms and re-arrange the interior to make the best use of the limited space. The property is listed and any works needed both Listed Building consent and planning approval.

The property

The property is a single aspect basement flat at the front of Sillwood Mansions a Grade 2 listed terraced house built in 1829 in the centre of Brighton. It is accessed by separate steps leading down to the entrance at basement floor level. The flats three doors and one window openings are flat arched, they follow the line of the fenestration above and they form a significant element of the front façade of this important heritage building.
The doors were not original and their style did not match anything in the rest of the building. The one remaining window was a boxed sash window but the top no longer existed and had been replaced with two opening casements. None of the fenestration provided adequate or secure ventilation to the living room or the bedrooms which they served.
Internally the layout was very different from the original ‘servant quarters’ and the primary aim was to maximise the useful space in the flat.

The solution

The flat is part of an iconic Listed Building and it was critical that any external changes enhanced the historic front elevation. The openings and principle elevation were maintained but the existing doors and window were replaced with a pair of French doors (forming the front door) and three double-hung vertical sliding sash windows. The doors and the windows were timber of a style reflecting the period and all with a glazing bar pattern matching the windows above.
Internally, walls were straightened, a second WC/shower room added and cupboards built using existing alcoves, spaces, and corners.

The result

Externally, the basement is now in visual harmony with the rest of Sillwood Mansions, the lines of the windows and doors flow from one floor to another. The new doors and windows provide secure ventilation to all rooms and inside the space works efficiently and is clutter free.

“Martin has been absolutely key to the whole project – he is always on hand and happy to help. Very reliable, time efficient and extremely professional I will always use Martin for any future project.”

SH Brighton

Refurbishment of Grade 1 Listed Flat

The brief

The clients met in and fell in love with Brighton and bought the flat as a place to come and live once their lives become less busy. They wanted to refurbish the property to a good modern standard but to retain or put back the historic features, respecting and reflecting its original layout and use as part of the servant’s quarters of the grand house above.

The property

The property is the front part of the basement of a grade 1 listed terraced house built in the 1830s and is located in one of the most iconic groups of heritage buildings in the country. As with all large houses of the era, the basement was the ‘workhorse’ of the house.
The flat was habitable but was suffering from a 1980s makeover, which detracted from the historic aspect of the property.
Originally, a York stone passage ran from the front to back of the basement giving access to the; Housekeeper’s room, Butler’s pantry, numerous food & drink storage rooms, servant’s hall, kitchen, scullery, food storage and servant’s stairs up to the main house. Over time the house and basement have been divided and sub-divided and prior to these most recent works, the flat was a 1980s incarnation.
The living room at the front of the basement was the House keeper’s room and this is the only room in the property that retains its original plan form. The other key feature for which there is evidence is the front part of the York stone passage. Over time ceilings have been lowered, walls built and a kitchen installed in the passage. The plan form of the rest of the flat is a combination of the conversion of the house into flat in the 1920s and the work in the 1980s. The property is listed and any works needed both Listed Building consent and planning approval.

The solution

The proposal was to refurbish the flat whilst at the same time remove the modern features that detract from the historical interpretation of its original plan. If and where possible the client wished to reinstate the layout and details of the property, taking it back to how it was when first built or to a logic point in its history. This wish involved removing modern features, retaining the 1920s alterations that had become part of the historical development of the building (such as the cross-passage) and where evidence existed putting back some original features.
The design solution was to retain the principle layout of the flat but open up and delineate the York stone passage.
The York stone passage has been created by stripping out the kitchen, and the removal of walls, blockwork balustrades, and suspended ceilings. To delineate the passage a York stone floor was laid and the bathroom walls set back. A new kitchen now sits respectfully in the York stone passage.
In the Housekeepers room, all the features added in the 1980s were removed including; the plaster moulding and ceiling rose, the picture rail and skirting boards, the window with bulls-eye glazing, the six-panelled fire doors, the 20th-century fireplace and non-original doorways. In their place is an entrance door in the original location, plain plastered walls and ceiling, a period fireplace and a refurbished parquet floor found under the carpets. New timber window shutters matching original examples have been reinstated in the tracks existing in the box sash windows.
Throughout the flat, the modern and non-original features have been removed and replaced. This includes; new four panelled internal doors (match original doors in other basements in the square) with Regency style rim locks and keeps, a new four panelled timber front door, square-nosed skirting boards reflecting those found in other Regency basements, replacement of the blockwork around the steps to the subterranean cellar with a visually unobtrusive balustrade, contemporary doors to the under-the-pavement cellars and the removal of the ceramic tiles covering the York stone steps and patio at the front of the property.

The result

Walking down the now exposed York stone steps at the front of the flat, worn by generations of servants and owners, the years of wear and the soft buff colour of the stone takes you back 180 years.
Inside the now removed stud walls, dropped ceilings and 1980s paraphernalia make way for what really feels like the original York stone passage. An Aga and minimal kitchen units sit quietly against one wall, almost like a serving table of days gone by. In the old Housekeepers room, the finishes are basic and your eyes are drawn to the cast-iron fireplace, to the renovated parquet floor and to the plain but elegant details and finishes. Period radiators, light switches and fittings and even the flexes give a simple but chic feel.
The recent renovation has created a modern flat in a heritage building of national importance. The refurbishment manages to provide the comforts required of today in a historic setting whilst portraying a little sense of how it was and how it might have felt when it was first inhabited.

“What do you do when you haven’t lived in Brighton for 20 years and you need an excellent architect to take care of a very sensitive Grade I listed apartment refurbishment? We were looking for a diligent, intelligent, creative and personable professional to guide this project through the labyrinthine application process and onwards.

Though he was by no means the first architect that we considered for this project, it is safe to say that we got lucky in holding out until we, at last, came across Martin McCurdy. Upon meeting him the decision was easy. The process smooth. The result a pleasure that will grow with time.

No one should undertake such a project lightly, but should you wish to restore what previous owners before you have repeatedly undermined and be able to live a modern life within it, then I would heartily recommend that you do so with an architect who is as personable as they are skilled. These projects are emotional. Enter into them with a good-hearted and sensitive partner. Thank you, Martin.”

J & W, Brighton

Refurbishment & installation of solar panels

The brief

The clients wanted to improve the thermal comfort of their property while reducing their contribution to climate change by investing in eco-energy.

The property

The property is contained within a Grade 2 listed terrace house in Kemp Town Brighton. The ground floor and basement have been converted into separate flats and the property is the top maisonette consisting of the 1st and 2nd floors.
The building is a solid masonry construction with timber windows, a ‘butterfly’ pitched roof (orientated south/north) to the main part of the building and a rear outrigger with a flat roof. Much of the original structure remains intact or is in evidence in the building and the windows in the main part of the property are the original traditional timber sliding sashes. An office located in the rear outrigger is a later addition to the property and is accessed half-way up the stairs over the original kitchens below. The exterior walls of the office are single skin masonry, the window was a single glazed softwood casement and the roof flat is finished with roofing felt with no insulation at all. The property is listed and any works needed both Listed Building consent and planning approval.

The solution

The office was unusable in the colder months and it had a detrimental impact on the thermal comfort in the rest of the property. The solution was to install internal wall insulation (IWI) to the external walls and to the ceiling of the office and fit a new double glazed timber casement window. The IWI was a 100mm PIR thermal insulation board, finished with plasterboard, a 5mm plaster skim and then painted white.
The south-facing slope of the ‘butterfly’ pitched roof allowed the installation of eleven 0.8m x 1.6m photovoltaic (PV) panels. The PV panels were fitted to the roof slope in the same plane as the roof tiles and are not visible from the public realm.

The result

The office is warm and usable and its improved thermal performance has had a significant and positive impact on the comfort of the whole property. The PV panels have reduced the client’s energy bills, they have given them a return on investment of approximately 10% per annum and the clients are contributing to the reduction in global warming.

“The work in the back room has drastically improved the way we live in our flat. In winter months the flat is now comfortable in every room and is sunny and airy through summer. We are also extremely pleased that Martin’s work meant it was straight forward to install PV solar panels across our roof. We really enjoyed working with Martin and would not hesitate to work with him again.”

Jackie & Mark, Brighton

Refurbishment of Grade 2 Listed Flat

The brief

Refurbish a damp, dark, poorly laid-out basement flat in a Grade 2 listed building. The clients bought the property knowing they would have to carry out substantial work to bring it up to a good habitable standard. They wanted a warm, modern flat they could either live in or rent out.

The property

The flat is in the basement of a four-storey listed terraced house with its own access and a rear walled courtyard. The property was last refurbished in the 1970s. The rooms had been partitioned, there was no fixed heating, the damp proofing had failed and almost all the original features had been lost.

The solution

Remove the 1970s partitions, change the internal layout of the flat to simpler more usable rooms, which better reflect the original layout, whilst retaining the flat’s essential character. Renew all windows and doors, lay a new insulated floor, address the damp, provide fixed heating, and install a new bathroom and kitchen.
As it was a listed building, all the proposed work to the interior and the exterior required listed building consent in addition to the usual planning consent, and details of all the planned works were made in close liaison with the conservation team. At the front, the most important elevation, the stone steps, cast-iron railings and other existing features were retained and repaired. The new front window matches the style and pattern of the original and the front door is a new four-panelled timber door.
To the rear the rotten floor-to-ceiling windows were replaced with sliding doors, maximising light and usable space in the flat and opening it up to the rear courtyard.

The result

A modern, light and warm one-bed flat in the centre of Brighton with the luxury of its own secluded outside space.