Wimbledon

This project involved the refurbishment and extension of a large Edwardian property in Wimbledon. The existing house is an attractive but bulky building, and the challenge was to create a suitably modern extension which respected the existing house but also didn’t look out of scale.

All the existing rooms of the house were well proportioned so didn’t require extending. Given the size and scale of the house it was considered that substantial alterations should be minimised. Our concept was to create an extension which would house a new kitchen dining room space which would be a pavilion attached to the back of the house. This was framed with a dramatic 15 metre cantilevered box section beam which served to frame both the new kitchen space and a terrace outside the kitchen. This was then separated from the rest of the garden by a reflecting pool which could collect the rainwater from the new terrace, with a small bridge over to the remaining garden.

This served to create a simple, strong architectural feature while making minimal alterations to the structure with the connection back to the existing house limited to tying into an existing opening at the centre of the house.

Careful attention was paid to the detailing to achieve the striking appearance and the effect of a visually floating beam. Motorised blinds were recessed into the ceiling, floor to ceiling purpose made cabinetry was built and totally frameless glazing were all developed to achieve the effect.

This structure was mirrored at the end of the garden by a smaller pavilion with the same beam detail which hid services and a shed building. This created an outdoor seating and dining area which could be a focus for the new kitchen space.

The result is a deceptively simple solution that dramatically improves the aspect of the house but with minimal intrusion into the original fabric.