Park Home is a subtle intervention that respects the charm of a distinguished terrace house and celebrates its vibrant English garden setting.

Our Clients

Our clients, a Scottish/Welsh couple with considered, elegant and classic taste, first discovered us through the London Festival of Architecture’s design surgeries. They’d just purchased their dream property, a split level three storey house that had beautiful existing features but was marred by previous unfitting remodelling and an under-utilised basement space, that lead them to seek some design guidance. An initial online chat with George in the depths of Covid lockdowns saw them drawn to the practice for initial ideas that were sympathetic to the inherent elegance of the house.

The Original House

The existing house is a beautiful split level terrace house with large sash windows and original stain glass detailing to the wide front entry.

The rear ground floor of the property featured a huge window and a discreet glazed rear door that connected the existing classic dining room space to the existing garden. Subservient but adjacent to these beautiful existing proportions was a fully glazed side return which featured a squashed galley kitchen that didn’t harmonize with the scale or sophistication of the rest of the property.

The remainder of the interiors sat somewhat unfinished from the previous owners and our clients were keen to bring them in line with the character of the existing features of the house they loved so much.

The Brief

Our clients were intent on respecting the existing external envelope and footprint by not extending outside the existing foundations of the building. Rather than seeking additional space, the focus was on optimizing areas that did not meet the sophisticated proportions of the more original and classic rooms of the house. Key areas for improvement included the narrow kitchen, the basement storage cellar and redesigning the upstairs outrigger to accommodate a suitable family bathroom for their growing family.

The overarching objective was to respect the existing building and not disrupt its classic appeal, the clients wanted to work with the existing structure of the building wherever possible and not make a proposal that was going to conflict with council’s conservation requirements. The garden was also a big focus for the project where our clients wanted to enjoy the green around them with a mature and long rear garden that faces the afternoon sun.

Design Ideas

Embracing the helpful constraint to not extend, we set about rearranging the rear of the property within its existing footprint. We wanted to best place the kitchen and dining spaces while still enabling a play area for the clients’ young boys.

We explored the option of retaining the existing layout with the kitchen in the side return and the dining room which benefitted from the existing picture window. In addition, we looked at the benefits of pushing the kitchen further into the plan to enable a larger kitchen space as well as opening the split level up throughout the plan to allow circulation and cross-light through the ground floor.

Design Solution

The design solution focused on relocating the kitchen from the cramped side return to the main space, maximizing the impact of the large sash window. The primary structural intervention for the project was to increase the opening between the two spaces to adequately connect the side return to main space. This allowed kitchen to become a liveable and generous family space that is at the centre of the three connected zones for cooking, dining and snug.

The side return was adapted with the replacement of very few parts into a more solid structure to provide a more crafted, substantial composition. A contemporary, square picture window was formed in the end wall to frame the garden. The fully glazed, poorly sealed roof was replaced with a large rooflight that still provides ample daylight. Oak baffles were designed below the glazing to filter the direct sun and provide shading from the afternoon sun to control overheating.

The connected snug space saw a subtle manipulation from its existing form. We reworked the openings connected it to the side return and main space to gain height and light while maintaining it as a cosy space, enveloped in a deep Sloe blue.

Practically, downstairs the existing cellar was kitted out, damp proofed and insulated to become habitable spare bedroom with wine storage, a full bathroom and utility area, relieving further pressure from the main kitchen storage. Upstairs, the outrigger was reconfigured so the existing colourful stained glass windows became part of the landing, enjoyed by the stairs and study space, while the end bedroom became a generous light blue and terracotta family bathroom.

The Garden

A strong part of the design was connecting the house to the established vibrant English garden surrounding the property. The design brings the planting right up to the property edges with a raised planter positioning flowers of Hockney-inspired colours right at the edge of the dining space. The design was never about having floor to ceiling glazing which shows patio before it shows you the green of the garden. In contrast, the contemporary picture window helps to frame the green space at the window and beyond so it can be better enjoyed from inside, keeping the hard paving out of view.

A similar sentiment is incorporated at the front of the property where a new storage and lightwell to the existing basement room was formed and topped with a deep planter. Built-in planters were provided with substantial substrates for proper planting, ensuring a vivid and lush environment without resorting to sedum.

Heritage Features, Proportions and Hues

The design adopted a rich, adventurous heritage colour palette throughout the rooms of the property. It creates a joyful and unexpected blend throughout each of the spaces with the sunlight and garden peeking in through each of the large sash windows.

Many period features were reinstated where they had been lost like the period tiled floor at the entry which highlights the geometries and colour of the existing stained glass door. We worked with and reinstated existing covings and datum features and retained and celebrated existing fireplaces.

Thank You

Contractor – Optimal Build

Structural Engineer – Structural Design Studio

Landscaping – 2 Birds Gardening

Photography – French and Tye

Read the Grand Designs Magazine feature on this house by clicking here.

About us

Bradley Van Der Straeten is an award-winning architecture studio that believes creative design can improve everyday life. Established in 2010 by friends George Bradley and Ewald Van Der Straeten, the studio loves creating colourful, fun and liveable spaces for the emotionally invested. To find out more about our story click HERE.

Contact

If you would like to talk to us about your home, contact us by clicking here.

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