Photographer Martin Gardner, www.martingardner.com
Richmond House
Richmond House was a small and
unattractive 4 bed house; it was built
from London stock in a neo-Georgian
style.
The clients’ instructed AR Design Studio
to re-design and extend the property and
the brief was to introduce a new master
bedroom, a walk-in wardrobe, a large
living space and a kitchen with strong
links to the garden.
Discussions with the planners at the start
of the design process proved that any
extension to the building was going to be
tricky; their opinion was that any visual
impact to the street scene was likely to be
detrimental to the area.
Regular discussions with the local
planning authority ensured that an
acceptable scheme was developed with
the planner; a way that AR like to work
to ensure approval.
AR proposed a vertical tower element to
the side of the existing building which
would house a utility room on the ground
floor and the new master bedroom on the
first floor.
The nature of the vertical element
subconsciously lifts one and improves
mental well-being when sleeping. The
case officer suggested that the new tower
should be in brick to match the existing
property. Using the same material helped
link the two elements.
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The tower is connected to the existing
by a glass link which helps set a clear
definition between the new and old
whilst bringing light into the building.
A single storey extension at the rear of
the house provided a large open-plan
kitchen, dining and living space. This
creates a light and airy space for the
owners to live and gives Dylan, the
dog, plenty of space to run around. The
external façade is clad in tessellated
fibre-cement cladding and sets a
contemporary geometry. The horizontal,
dominant and grounded nature of the
extension is offset by the expanse of
sliding glazing, which opens to create a
space that blurs the boundary between
inside and out.