Private house extension in Oxfordshire

The brief called for a new kitchen and dining area to have a greater connection to the garden. The existing spaces were replanned to flow seamlessly into a new sunspace that opened directly into the garden.

The large glass sliding pivoting glass door opens up half of the rear glazed elevation, onto a decked area with a reflective pool. A utility room and WC are discretely hidden behind a walnut-clad wall, which also provides additional access into the garden.

The water feature reflects dappled light onto the ceiling of the sunspace while the clerestory windows capture natural light as the sun tracks around the house during the day. The finish on the solid oak flooring also helps to reflect light deeper into the plan.

Due to the age of the house, the heating and electrics for the house were completely upgraded as part of the works. In order to mitigate the effect of run-off from the new roofs, rainwater is harvested from all of the roofs drains into a butt concealed behind the existing WC and utility room, which then overflows into the water feature. When the water feature is full, this has an overflow channel into the soakaway which is located under the decking.