Cottage Extension
The brief for this small cottage built before the beginning of the 20th Century was driven by the client’s requirements for accessible living, providing much needed flexibility into the future.
Comprising of ground floor living, kitchen & dining room with two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, the cottage also had a pre-fabricated garage in the rear garden in state of disrepair as well as a glazed lean-to structure both of which aesthetically added little to the property.
The brief was to provide an extension to the rear of the property not only to enhance the size of the kitchen area but also to provide a ground floor living space which could double as bedroom and separate bathroom accommodation to future-proof the cottage and become a ‘house for life’ for the ageing client.
In turn, the demolition of the garage and lean-to allowed the use of the existing footprint and established a mass limiting any impact on both the host building and neighbouring property and consuming no more of the mature garden at the rear.
The added complication of a public sewer running close to the property shaped the proposals however the outcome was one that provides cohesive, sensitive and functional spaces finished with high quality materials that enhance the host property allowing the clients to continue their enjoyment of the location and setting when mobility issues become more pressured/limiting.
A sedum roof punctuated by rooflights is proposed to ensure outlook from the first floor is softened and biodiversity enhanced as well as maximising natural light on the north side of the property.
Following a successful planning application and technical design phase, the project was commenced in late 2024 and is now complete.