Surface Design Awards – Complete

• HOUSING - INTERIOR 
  Buildings such as houses, flats and apartments that are used for sheltering people. These could be either part of the private or public sector and could be individual dwellings or multi-dwelling developments. Social rented, affordable rented and intermediate housing, provided to specified eligible households whose needs are not met by the market are included.

In the heart of the Borough High Street Conservation Area stands a locally listed Georgian House, a small testament to the rich architectural heritage of the neighborhood.
The house is part of a terrace nestled amidst outstanding heritage building and contemporary structures. The terrace is formed by only four houses and none of them has received any sort of extension since built.
This project presented a set of challenges. The Georgian townhouse's boundary walls were not parallel, resulting in an irregular and complex layout for the extension. The design involved smoothing the extension's shape by introducing the up-and-over glass feature, which had the added benefit of neutralizing the boundary shapes.
The up-and-over glass roof runs perpendicular to the tall sliding doors, forming a visual alignment that captures the attention in the space. This bold design choice not only adds a contemporary twist but also serves as a unifying element that ties the extension together with the garden.
The other challenge was to find a delicate balance between contemporary design and the existing features of the Georgian house. The selection of materials was pivotal, as they had to resonate with the historic character of the house while embracing modernity. The transparent roof allows from indoor to contemplating the original brick façade with its sash windows like a modern frame around the existing.
From outside the rear extension adorns the historical fabric like a delicate semi-transparent box. Black aluminium and black door frames recall the traditional cast iron pipes.
The original floor of the house was removed during some remedial works done in the last century and a slab of concrete had been laid to reinforce the original foundation. It was decided to expose the concrete and to brighten in up with a coat of architop. The seamless flooring runs in the entire ground floor empathising the open space feeling.
The original feature of the houses like the wood panelling, the doors, cornices and coves and the fireplace have been kept and redecorated.
The new kitchen is a gallery room with modern joinery; it represents the transition between the traditional front room and the dining area in the modern extension.
One of the distinguishing features of this project together with the materials is also the careful selection of the colour scheme. Soft earthy tones and neutral shades contribute to a tranquil atmosphere that complements the influx of natural light. The colour palette serves as a canvas upon which the interplay between materials and architectural elements takes centre stage. It provides a calming backdrop that allows the eye to rest and appreciate the overall elegance and harmony of the design.
The use of serene colours further enhances the extension's timeless appeal smoothing down the exceptional contemporary style.

Considering the odd shape of the plot and the lack of natural light in the property we had to use as much glass as possible to add a quality extension to the house.
An up and above type of glazing unit has been installed along the irregular partywall. Due to the uneven shape we have divided the glass unit in 3 blocks. Each block differ from the others and are not orthogonal.
There is only one visible metal beam to support the glass unit although very small and slim that disguise completely within the black silicon sealant.
The design plays with the glass block partitions and the sliding doors in order to create the transparent prt of the extension as one element counterposed to the solid brickwall and roof.

This property produces 3.8 tonnes of CO2 and it is rated 57 D by EPC.
The works have been carried out only at ground floor level and a Phase 2 is planned for next year. Once the works will be completed in the full house the property’s potential production is of 1.3 tonnes of CO2 and 80 C as EPC.

The glass up and above is 3.90 mt ca long, 1.4 mt ca wide and 0.6 mt ca tall and consists in 6 pieces of double glass panels, a small steel T beam and aluminium profiles.
The property is a terrace house with the only access to the rear throughout the main and back doors. The glazing company would usually assemble the main parts of the glazing product in their factory although it could not be done for this site because of the irregular shape and also the limited access.
The pieces have been fully assembled on site starting with the steel beam and the aluminium profiles. The glass panels were lifted by hand as no lifting machine could be taken inside.