The existing house layout resulted in disjointed ground-floor spaces, with the galley kitchen isolated from the rear living area and the conservatory underused due to the common issues of overheating in summer and poor thermal performance in winter.

The client brief sought to address these shortcomings by extending the ground floor to improve the overall layout and create a generous open-plan kitchen, dining, and family living space.

The proposed design responds to the brief through the addition of a stepped single-storey rear and partial side extension, combined with internal reconfiguration to deliver a practical, flexible, and multifunctional family environment.

The stepped rear façade reduces the perceived mass of the extension, concentrating the increase in floor area only where required. This approach respects neighbouring rights to light while also forming a semi-enclosed external sitting area, providing an enhanced level of privacy in comparison to the wider garden and strengthening the relationship between the internal living spaces and the outdoors.

Internally, a window seat with integrated low-level storage is incorporated within the kitchen and aligned with a seamless external planter, enhancing views and strengthening the connection between inside and outside.

Externally, the new extension is finished in charred black timber cladding, providing a contemporary architectural contrast to the existing house while unifying the new elements with a strong, modern identity.