Single Storey Rear extension in West London
West London
Status: Completed
Location: West London
Scope of works: Rear Ground Floor Single Storey Extension, open plan, brick window seat, and refurbishment.
Before and after transformation
The existing semi-detached house:
A semi-detached Edwardian house, located in St Margaret’s, West London. The existing property was in a rather bad condition. However, there are particular features such as an interesting front yard which, being between the street and the entrance to the house, provides additional privacy, and a decent-sized garden at the rear. The footprint of the building is rather narrow, which was an important factor at the inception stage and in the architectural design strategy.
Clients’ Brief :
The clients are a family of four with a cat. They enjoy reading, cooking, living around the kitchen area, and outdoor activities. Their day-to-day lifestyle required a space that allowed independence, but also allowed living together as a family.
The principal objective, on which we agreed from the very early design stages, was to create a strong, elongated, open plan, where each space and activity is strongly differentiated while still being within the same area, and to connect all these concatenated spaces not only to the rear garden and patio, but also, visually, to the front yard. This was the main idea from which the whole project unfolded.
Architects´ Solution and Kitchen Open Plan Design :
We departed from the traditional square rear extension with full glazing, and decided on an extension which works as a sculptural piece whose sole purpose is to relate the different areas to each other.
First, this solution connects the rear garden and the internal space by means of a brick window-seat which extends from the external area to the internal space, and simultaneously creates a patio, as a dual-purpose area between the garden and the house.
Then, the exit volume and space, more functional, serves as a passage to transit to the garden and patio, as part of the kitchen and also creates a large rooflight that gathers natural light and direct sunlight into the kitchen and dining spaces
Brick built window-seat extension and patio
Brick internal wall separating kitchen-exit path and living areas
Kitchen Living Dining Open Plan Architecture:
Internally, all spaces are set lineally, and are designed to be linked visually, but the way they function is what separates them. This is critical in an open-plan layout, because if we were simply laying out all the spaces inside a large space, we would probably obtain a pleasant appearance, but it would be disastrous in use, and it would feel chaotic and uncomfortable in the long term , which is what almost always happens with large open-plan layouts. To avoid this potential problem, and to achieve a usable and organized space overall, we have proposed the following ¨in-built ¨ elements:
1-Front living-room window seat and bespoke joinery design:
What was originally the traditional front bow window has been converted into a large window-seat daybed with concealed storage underneath, with a large, fixed picture-window facing the front yard and its existing tree. This has also been coordinated with an entrance clock-wardrobe, and floor-to-ceiling shelves for the TV wall. These three bespoke ¨built-in ¨ joinery elements together form the living-room space.
2- Open Plan Kitchen extension design:
The kitchen´s worktop, splash-back, cupboards and appliances have been carefully laid out on the side wall, which leads to the exit to the patio. A large rooflight and a brick wall feature highlight this transit path, these two elements working together to separate the kitchen functionally and visually, while being in the same space.
3- Brick built window-seat extension and patio
This is the main element on the ground floor single storey extension, and it is also what creates the rear extension volume. Conceived as a large sculptural piece made of beautiful London stock-washed brick, it has many functions, the main one being to connect the internal space with the garden. The large window bi fold glazing opening provides views and brings natural light in, the brick window-seat creates the rear patio, and by having the exposed brick walls and seat coming into the internal area, this all works cohesively.
Moreover, the brick window-seat creates a strong open plan connection between the front and the rear since we have window-seats, daybeds at both ends. These are almost 14 metres apart, but they face each other. By combining these two consecutive, large, glazed openings we expand the view by as much as 40 metres, so that, although the open plan space is small, it feels large and airy. Natural light floods into all of the ground-floor areas.
Brick benches and planters creating the rear patio
Rear single storey Extension Materials, London Stock Brick:
Matter plays an important role in this project, and everything revolves round washed brick, and the way in which it integrates into the internal space.
As the rear extension faces south-east, we have a large amount of direct sunlight to enjoy throughout the day, so we chose a light tone of brick so that the sun can shine on the bricks both internally and externally, and then we chose a light-coloured wooden floor to enhance this natural lighting.
The owners previously lived in Spain, they loved it, and it was agreed that some sort of connection with Mediterranean culture was very desirable while possible in London.
Brick, traditionally, is a rather British material, and choosing a lighter tone of brick enhances natural light and exposure to sun. Moreover, having the bricks exposed internally and in continuity with the walls and the window-seat, enables a beautiful Mediterranean understanding of light and the possibility of a Mediterranean lifestyle.
