Floating Brick House

The existing house was previously made up of two main parts. The original Victorian section at the front and several later additions to the rear, which fashioned a mis-match of form, style and space.

The ‘Floating Brick House’ extension replaces the dilapidated 1960s addition, harmonising a mixture of classic and contemporary styles. The design incorporates full-height Crittall glazing with off centred glazing bars that accentuate the asymmetry of the built form.

The brick mass cantilevers out at a different angle to the glazing below, providing a sense of drama at various perspectives depending on where you are stood. The dual-aspect glazed Crittall screen is framed by the wrapped metal reveal which tapers on the soffit to match the brick form above. This form is further reflected in the decking below.

Inside the extension is an open-plan industrial themed kitchen and dining room that incorporates a copper worktop, a distressed timber kitchen, reclaimed materials, refurbished antique pieces of built-in furniture and a polished concrete floor. The space is framed with a continuous recessed LED perimeter lighting detail, which connects and frames the room. The slot rooflight above the kitchen floods natural light into the deeper parts of the floor plate, minimising the need for artificial lighting during the daytime periods.

As the building is north-facing, glazing was maximised on the rear façade without the danger of overheating the space. The building was designed with sustainability being a key criterion of the project brief from the outset. Materials were responsibly sourced and reclaimed where possible, the design maximises daylight efficiency and energy use by specifying improved U-values and renewable technology.