Croft Lane

residential extension

827abdbc-9e6c-4595-99d7-2230759bbad6.jfif

Thanks to a young family client who recognised that characterless1960's homes have huge potential, we set about increasing the limited cellular design of the original building by replacing the garage with an open plan Kitchen, Dining and Living Space to the Ground Floor and a spacious and modern Master Bedroom suite above. This added a much needed hierarchy of space within the floor plan.

To prevent a feeling of segregation at all times, but allowing such a possibility if necessary, we have incorporated generous pocket-sliding internal doors to separate the spaces but also disappear.

The site enjoys excellent views of the generous grounds but is also in a suburban setting. To balance the need for views and privacy, the fenestration is deliberately framed in both horizontal and vertical orientation enabling wide or directional vistas.

Opening up the spacious rear garden to be viewed and enjoyed from within the house was an obvious move with generous bi-fold doors opening up to bring the garden inside. The pitched single storey roof, a request of the client for a lofty ceiling clearance enables a unique feeling of space in this primary family area.

Our project at Croft Lane was the ultimate challenge, one that we couldn't wait to get our teeth into. Opportunities like this don't come around often.

The trickiest task was how to sympathetically modify the aesthetic. For this we have adopted a contemporary palette of materials overlapping with traditional design which is enhanced by the surrounding trees.

Although the language of teh existing and new massing is not dissimilar, materiality here is key and so the same cladding but in a different finish defines the new pitched roof massing whilst connecting the two elements through a natural clad finish.