The courtyard is expressed differently;
borrowing materials from the garden
to distinguish it from the living spaces,
reinforcing its identity as a conceptually
external space. Cost effective and robust
materials, more often associated with
industrial rather than domestic architecture,
are used to create a quality of warmth and
lightness.
The structural walls of the extension are
all built in grey cement block with exposed
aggregates - matte on the outside and
polished internally. The sand-blasted glass
blocks create a diffused light internally and
emphasize the translucency of the space.
These glow at night from the internally lit
space, illuminating and breaking up the
exposed side flank wall. European Oak
flooring, terracotta tiles, and the soft pink
concrete kitchen worktops also add warmth
and an ethereal quality to the interior space.
Use of contrasting materials, such as the
earthy texture of the oak and terracotta used
for the floor and light bright materials, such
as glass and polished concrete blocks used
for the envelope, work together to form a
harmonious and contemporary palette. At
the rear, a large face-fixed sliding door allows
most of the rear elevation to open out onto
the new garden. The project has created a
new family home that is bold and honest in
its use of materials whilst retaining a sense
of warmth and domesticity which the clients
and their young children have embraced.
www.nimtim.co.uk
Photos: www.frenchandtye.com
www.refurbandrestore.co.uk - 61