Things are moving in Clapham

Our Clapham site is underway and looking great!

Halfway through construction, and we’re beginning to feel the quality of space that will transform what was once a compartmentalized living area, offering little in the way of interaction with the garden, into an open, light, and sociable space.

The brief for the project was to make a series of alterations to better accommodate this family of four with two growing children - making the property more welcoming and future-proofed for many years to come.
The proposal involved removing a lackluster conservatory, along with demolishing the ground floor of the outrigger to make way for a new rear extension that spans the entire width of the property. This extension aims to enhance the character and qualities of the existing rear façade in a contemporary manner.

As for materiality, we worked with the clients to create an extension with high aesthetic quality - contemporary, yet sympathetic to the yellow stock brick of the existing Victorian property. We have used Wienerberger Marziale brick here, which adds a lighter touch to the property while maintaining matching tonal hints from the existing brickwork. Thin-frame aluminium sliding doors, provided by Maxlight, are due to be installed on the rear elevation, allowing the family easy access between the new living and dining spaces and the garden. We chose bronze-framed glazing to complement the materials of the proposed design.

One challenge we faced with the existing property was the severe lack of headroom in the outrigger. To address this, we decided to lower the ground level of the extension, creating a much more usable space. Additionally, we lowered the garden to create a more private space for the family to enjoy.

Most excitingly, we recently saw the installation of our favorite feature of the property. As we do in all of our concept designs and briefings, we take an active approach to sustainable design. With a south-facing property, we saw an opportunity to incorporate a Brise Soleil - an excellent example of how passive design can be integrated as an attractive feature. The Brise Soleil will allow low-level sun in the mornings and winter while controlling overbearing heat gain in the summer months. For good measure, we’ve also included generous rooflights to bring sunlight deep into the space, brightening breakfast time at our fun waterfall kitchen countertop.

We can’t wait to see the project completed, and we’ll be keeping you up to date with some springtime photos from our upcoming visits.