Whole terrace house refurbishment with side and rear extensions - North London

It forms the left hand property of three, infilled in a narrow site compared to the neighbours. As a result, the entrance hallway was so narrow, the front door could not fit on the front façade, so the client’s entered the property down the side passageway. Similarly, to the rear, the outrigger measured 3m in width and housed a very tight kitchen and tiny dining area with three uninsulated external walls. The house lacked character and decent family space. The idea was to expanded the property out both to the side and to the rear, in order to create a spacious feel with useful and intimate spaces connecting to the garden. The structural complexity involved in gaining one metre, many would feel outweighed the benefits, but in this case defined the whole new ground floor plan. The new exterior cavity wall was constructed with exposed brickwork internally and plenty of insulation. Exposed timber beams interspersed with rooflight made the new wide welcoming hallway, which also provided a natural and visual link to the kitchen and garden. To the rear the old outrigger was totally rebuilt on both levels and we found out that we were granted planning for an extra infill extension during construction so the design was reviewed mid-build – which explains the column in the kitchen. The kitchen extension was a complete transformation for the clients, who are now able to cook, eat and entertain viewing their newly designed garden. For the exterior we used black Japanese charred timber. All the new materials added were carefully considered to provide texture and character to the home. The whole house was insulated and solar panels fitted to the roof, providing power to the home and electric car.