D5

A subtle play between traditional and modernist.

We have refurbished and extended a building within the Driffield Road Conservation Area in East London. The rear extension covers all three levels of the building, with the massing stepping back in each subsequent level. The remodelled lower ground floor houses the dining area, kitchen and a lounge. There the extension covers the full width of the site. An existing extension of poor construction quality was demolished to make way for the proposed works whilst maintaining all existing levels and landscaping of the garden.

A new main bathroom is located within the extension on the ground floor level. This extension steps to one side enabling natural light to the lower ground floor via a generous skylight. The first floor extension is stepped back even further and covers roughly a third of the area of the extension below. It houses a toilet room adjacent to the bedrooms.

Large, modern glazed areas allow for a lot of natural light to enter the spaces at all levels whilst the fair-faced brickwork enables the exterior to seemingly blend in with the existing language of the building. On the inside, a modernist approach is taken; a gentle material palette with neutral whites and greys compliment the minimalist layout. Splashes of colour, such as turquoise grouting for the white mosaic feature wall in the bathroom or a bright yellow splashback, provide a break in the palette.

Cost-efficiency was a driving factor of the project and so a careful approach was taken to ensure an end result without sacrifices on quality of design and construction. The works have been achieved at just £1,615 net construction costs per square metre and serve to fundamentally restore and extend an ageing house into a modern home.

Status: Completed 2017