Magpie House

Originally approached to open and extend the ground floor of the north-facing home, the brief grew to encompass refurbishing the upper floor, requiring a cohesive renovation throughout while incorporating many repurposed fitting
nd furniture from the clients’ vintage collection. As well as adding a 3 metre side and rear extension, the project sought to create a more cohesive and seamless sequence for living, dining, and cooking. Connection to the garden was crucial, met with the addition of a cast concrete and dark stained oak window seat at the rear elevation, the glazed panels of which can be entirely opened providing seamless flow from dining area to garden. Outside, the rear façade offers depth and a degree of privacy. An expressive, galvanised steel structure with dark stained timber window trims, chosen to tie in with an existing black-stained garden room. Slim steel posts break up the dark elevation, which is topped by a thick lead parapet that projects to create a small overhang, sheltering the bench below from rain. The kitchen is designed to work around items that were already in the client’s possession. Stainless steel counters and splashback act as the main material of contrast against ash joinery. These extend to a larger, stainless-steel unit that conceals the extract at high level, as well as providing ample space for preparation to service large gatherings. The project was facilitated by a long-term relationship between the client and contractor, as well as a sensitive attitude to reusing found objects. DGN Studio rethought the traditional design process in favour of a more intuitive, flexible approach, testing new ways of working in a more agile and responsive manner to site processes, making Magpie house a successful collage of many hands.