Elmcroft Drive

Overview

Create a new kitchen, dining and living space; refurbish key areas of the house and include a new home office space by extending an Edwardian, detached property.

The Brief

Our client’s detached property sits on a smart street of Edwardian properties near Kingston, Surrey. Though it has some period features and interesting materials it was, like most properties we work on, pretty dated and tired though much loved by our client. In the depths of the pandemic, the house was being used extensively by our client who runs a very successful business from his home and needed an excellent office space with room to spread out and film online tutorials. Early discussions focussed on the scale of the extended element and how we could make better use of the existing spaces, tying the circulation and back of house spaces into a set of plans that set out clear sightlines and brought in light to key areas. The use of new and bold architectural materials was also something we agreed should be the focus of the design. As with many of our clients, particularly those running their own businesses, their house is their workplace as well as their home and therefore must switch easily from one use to another throughout the day. One of our client’s opening lines to us was that the design should be ‘award ready’ and dynamic. We were so excited to hear this and set about following this brief.

Our Solution

We started the discussions with our client by looking at the uses and sizes of space needed. We looked at the orientation of the house and its relationship to its boundaries and neighbouring buildings. We developed key lines of sight and circulation from front to back through the house and developed a series of level changes to accommodate the site and its geography. As with many of our projects, the use of light and positions of glazing was key to the design concept and we went through a series of design proposals with our client to investigate the shape and scale of the design. We wanted to create a dynamic structure with geometry and pattern at its heart. We thought that this client and building type would work best with a bold pallet of colours and use of texture at its core.

In tandem with the external form and shape, we developed an interior concept using materials like timber cladding and concrete, steel and glass as the internal finishes – The architecture IS the interior. Working with our client we chose light fittings and key pieces of furniture to complement the materials and create a warm and bold piece of design. Striking angular shapes and canopies frame the garden view whilst, from the garden, the spaces inside glow from within the dark structural envelope. When a client is keen to have ideas and concepts take on a unique and bold form we are really excited as it always leads to crisp and unique architecture. We are able to add flair and interest to the spaces giving, as in this case, the client a home that they are really proud of.

The construction and materiality of the project have led to a building that will age gracefully and gives the building a contrasting front and rear elevation – While understated from the street, the rear elevation is very striking. Glimpses of it can be seen as you enter because we have aligned the entrance lobby with doors through the rear but there is no clue as to what lies behind the unassuming front façade. The client committed to a high level of specification and the design team was coordinated by us to deliver a rich and inspiring home.