First Floor Terrace Extension

Brief: Terrace extension to a first floor flat

Budget: Undisclosed

Scope: Full Planning Application, Building Regulations & Construction Information

This project was conceived by the owners of a first floor flat in the height of lockdown. Like many of us Lockdown made them re-evaluate how their current flat arrangement work for them, or rather didn’t. The current kitchen was in need of a refurbishment as was the bathroom.

External space has a premium in London and our initial design studies explored whether the layout of the property could be adjusted to accommodate a second bedroom without extending over the terrace. We came to the conclusion that the small extension over the terrace space would provide the additional floor area required to provide a second bedroom without compromising the existing rooms.

The existing rear elevation of the building was mixture of a London Stock bricks and tired render. We design a Scottish larch timber batten which would weather with time as the cladding for the extension. This would both compliment and contrast with the existing materiality of the building and give the extension a natural and timeless quality. The window sets were then going to be triple glazed timber units to ensure solar gain in the space was kept to a sensible level.

Unfortunately this project will never be built because the clients circumstances improved and they decided to put the property on the market. We compiled a handover pack to be passed to prospective owners so there is a small chance that this project may someday come to fruition.

The sections above show how the section was extension was designed to make the most of the sunlight the existing terrace received. A strip skylight against the wall of the house above ensure light reached the rear of the space. Large bifold windows set at sill height forms a bench seat the a table area. These windows could be fully opened in the summer to give the impression of dining in the garden.

At 9 square meters the extension is one of the smallest we have done and a small space for a dine in kitchen. It was key that we made use of every centimeter of space, utilising the over wide corridor leading to the space as an extension to the kitchen and using any niches for storage. Although small, clever use of space meant that every white good you would expect to find in a modern kitchen fitted in the space even leaving space for a wine cooler!