Private House, Silchester Road​

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The house, though a fine Victorian period dwelling, suffered from that age-old problem of not really functioning well as a home for a young family. There was the dark kitchen, the poor connection to the rear garden, draughts, and poor insulation that sucked the energy out of the house. Our brief was to deal with these issues and come up with a design that allowed the house to meet the needs of the family.

The house is situated in an Architectural Conservation Area and this informed the approach taken but we felt it important that the work was not a pastiche response to the brief. The Lower ground floor was extensively remodeled, and a brick extension was added to the rear; this single storey intervention acted as a lightwell bringing much need daylight into the floor plate. The house was drylined and the services were upgraded throughout.

Extensive cornicing repairs were carried out and the timber ground floor structure was strengthened and levelled. The front and rear gardens were extensively landscaped, and the front garden even has a secret basketball court. The finished home is a good example of a modern intervention that fully respects the original house and its context.