build that match the floors in the original home.
As well as the principal living volume, the
new public zone includes a rumpus room and a
courtyard area that separates the two.
The main volume has clerestory windows
to maximise natural light and bifold doors that
open the space up the rear garden. It comprises
a new kitchen, a dining area and the living area.
“Seen from across the small courtyard, the
rumpus room almost reads as a freestanding
element,” he says. “The courtyard is a little like
a buffer zone, whereby the parents can keep an
eye on the children without being in their face.”
The rear extension is built on a wood frame
with substantial steel also involved to allow for
the steep angle of the roof and ample glazing.
“The owners wanted a spacious, airy room.
However, we were somewhat limited by set-
back heights by the boundary and so raised the
angle of the roof to optimise a sense of volume
on the inward-looking side of the space.”
As with the flooring, the existing and new
exteriors also flow, as Porter sourced matching
recycled clinker brinks for the new sections.
These are given a decorative treatment – an echo
of the attention to detailing in the original home.
Facing page, top: The new rumpus
room is partially separated from the
living zone by an external courtyard.
Facing page, lower: The entertainer’s
kitchen featuring American Oak and
marble finishes is a few steps from
the dining table and living area.
Above: A steep roof angle means this
side of the living zone has a soaring
ceiling height. Clerestory windows
make the most of the northern sun.
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