A challenge posed by the brief was having to work with the existing internal loadbearing walls, with a view to try and limit the amount of disruption and remedial works to the original structure. This largely dictated the footprint and massing of the proposal, with the new open plan living area being arranged in an L-shaped configuration.

The new ground floor extension includes a large open kitchen, dining and living area fronting onto the garden, with a series of sliding doors that utilise a flush threshold detail to create a seamless relationship between living and garden space.

Working with the current stair position, spaces were divided and repositioned to offer a balance of open-plan and practical family living. The existing living room to the front was divided to create an office and snug area, with the primary living spaces located to the rear. Whilst adopting an open-plan extension, spaces are defined by their use and divisions created with furniture, such as the small reading area just off the kitchen-dining space, where the children can do their homework, which can double up as an additional home office during the day.

The massing, form and scale, as well as the material choices were directly influenced by a Scandinavian aesthetic. The extension and remodel to the rear appears as a set of stacked contemporary boxes that have been carefully arranged and divided up with a soft material palette. The combination of white brick and larch cladding was chosen as a result of the Nordic influence and this could be readily incorporated to the existing fabric of the house.