Nicklin House

The house had an attractive double fronted elevation, with reception rooms either side of a central hall while the rear was poorly planned.

Around a dark contorted corridor, the lounge and kitchen sat deep within the plan, hidden from the garden by a lean-to conservatory and dining room. Levitate’s response was to clear away accretions and provide a single volume that could unify new living, dining and kitchen spaces with the south-easterly garden.

Rationalising the plan with a hidden gutter, a shallow pitch rooflight runs across the entire width, bringing unity to the elevation.

Internally light is baffled by a bi-axial etched glass canopy that animates the space with changing shadow and pattern throughout the day. Creating a level soffit throughout, the canopy is mirrored externally to provide shade. With a lateral service core containing storage and a WC, two symmetrical piers provide structural and spatial resolution.