White Lodge

The project involved the replacement of a series of cluttered out-buildings with an open-plan extension, incorporating a kitchen and bedrooms as well as extensive re-landscaping of the gardens. The concept behind the design was to cantilever a simple box over the existing brick retaining wall, which would not only provide enclosure for accommodation below but also lightly connect to the attractive brick painted cottage. A single-storey element to the rear would then form a connection to the landscaped garden which the property was previously lacking. The side extension is separated from the existing building by a glazed atrium, which creates a new entrance and gives clarity between old and new as well as allowing the expression of the original façade and decorative window openings within the interior. The juxtaposition is evident throughout - no more so than where a glazed oriel window-seat references the original ornate toll booth on the same elevation. At first floor, wide expanses of glazing, combined with an upper terrace and frameless glass balustrade make the most of elevated views, not previously enjoyed from the original, smaller timber framed windows which are retained on the front and side elevations. To complement the robust nature of the existing brick cottage and the way the building sits in the landscape, grey bricks provide weight to the base of the extension and counterpoints the glazing above, separated by a band of GRC all on a lightweight insulated steel and timber frame. In addition to the high performance levels for the new building (informed by TM59 overheating assessments) there was a comprehensive retrofit of the existing property allowing for an ASHP system + PVs to serve the whole house.