Ground Floor Flat Rear and Side extensions in North London
Muswell Hill
Status: Completed
Location: Muswell Hill Conservation Area, West London
Scope of works: Ground Floor Single Storey rear and side extensions, and Refurbishment
Before and after Transformation
Existing Ground Floor Flat with Garden in the Muswell Hill Conservation Area:
Located in Muswell Hill, North London, this ground-floor flat has a beautiful, good- sized rear garden. The flat is a self-contained unit which forms part of a converted, larger terraced Edwardian property.This was a small project in size, but a big challenge, which involved all the possible complexities in a rear extension:
It is in a Conservation Area.
It is a flat, so it shares structural elements and installations with neighbours and with the rest of the building.
There is a large communal sewer pipe passing through the garden and underneath the property.
There is a large tree in the garden, which we wanted to retain, for architectural as well as aesthetic reasons. Although the tree was to be one of the project’s main features, it brought many technical difficulties into the project.
Access for materials, and especially for the larger pieces of glass used in the rooflights and glazed sliding doors, was difficult, as there is no direct access from the street to the flat.
White card models
Clients´ Brief:
The original flat was rather small, and its main advantage was the existing garden, which, as well as being sizeable, contained the beautiful mature tree. The client´s main objectives were to add as much additional space as possible, ideally in a Kitchen Living open-plan layout, to bring the garden into the living space, to create continuity between the internal space and the garden, and to create views and bring lots of natural light into the flat.
Architects´ Solution and Kitchen Open Plan Design :
In order to fulfil our clients’ expectations and requests, we created a side infill extension, a rear extension, and also a rear-garden outbuilding for use as an office. These, together, increased the total internal area by more than 90%, so the new flat is almost double the size of the former one.
It was agreed with the local planning authority, Haringey Council, that, in order to mitigate visual bulk, the length of the side extension should be reduced, and the infill volume should be designed so as to look more subtle and to be distinguished from the rest of the extension by the use of rooflights, glazing and dark-coloured brick. It would then be perceived more as a shadow than as an actual extension.
Although the size of the ground-floor open plan is not large, various areas have been differentiated inside the main space. In order to achieve this, we created three main openings, each of which provides a different view of the garden:
1- A full-frame rooflight infill side extension:
Providing natural light and a unique view of the mature tree. Directly related to the dining area, this rooflight, in conjunction with the ‘feature’ brick wall, helps to bring character and independence to this area of the open plan.
2-A small, side, fixed window with a window-seat:
Once again, this provides a different view of the garden, and as a consequence creates a corner suitable for reading, or to be used as part of the living area.
3-Sliding glazed doors:
These provide the main view; they connect the whole space with the garden. Continuity between the internal space and the garden was crucial, so we advised sliding glazed doors. The main reason for these was to reduce the framed area in order to maximise the glass area and the view, thus producing a less noticeable transition between inside and outside. The doors are slim aluminium profiles from the firm Cortizo®. To enhance this connection between the living and the patio areas, we opted for the same limestone finish and levels both inside and outside.
Open Plan Kitchen Internal View towards the rear Garden