Berkshire Twins

The Berkshire Twins are identical contemporary rear extensions to a pair of 1870’s townhouses in a conservation area in the village of Twyford. The first extension was carried out by architect homeowner Fred Guttfield and his wife. Once the project was competed, the neighbours asked for an identical copy.

Original rear outriggers were replaced with full-width extensions, designed to compliment, rather than copy, the original houses. Bricks from the demolished parts were rebuilt as side walls, on which the contemporary elements sit. Smooth red linear bricks were chosen and colour matched to compliment the original Victorian wire-cut bricks. Extending across the full width of both plots meant limiting the height on each side to avoid affecting neighbours’ light.

The windows, front door, letterbox and even door numbers were all matched and the houses were re-pointed in matching lime mortar to complete the identical appearance. Internally, layouts and materials have been tweaked to suit the individual users of the spaces. Fred’s interior is pared back to be used as a backdrop to be enriched by the colour and variety of everyday possessions such as books, art and furniture. Hanging storage was designed for a spice library, ingredients, bar and cooking equipment. The second floor of the house was reconfigured to create a fourth bedroom and outside, a new garden studio and landscaping have been added.

The project aims to be an exemplar for retrofitting a Victorian terrace, so windows have been replaced with aluminium framed triple-glazed units, floors, walls and roofs have been fully insulated and LED lighting has been installed.

To meet tight budgets for both families, detailed drawings and specifications were developed and Guttfield Architecture managed both projects on site, being able to deliver the extension and refurbishment of both four-bedroom houses for a combined cost of £235,000.