A Slanting Extension

Status: Completed

Location: London E10

As is often the case, Victorian houses, though familiar in layout and rich in distinctive features, reflect a time and age that doesn’t align with modern living. Remodeling a house built decades ago and making it contemporary is the core of the work we do at TA+ Studio.

In this particular case, the clients’ brief was to redesign the ground and first floors so that all family members could enjoy their own spaces, as well as the shared areas, in an organic way, without accidental overlaps.

Despite a previous loft conversion, the house hadn’t undergone any recent transformations, and the ground floor felt disjointed, lacking a real connection to the garden. After carefully analysing the family’s routine, the home’s potential, and the budget, we identified the main issue as the lack of a space for shared activities. Similarly, on the first floor, we noticed the need for  the existing  bathroom that could better meet the family’s needs.

The project then came to life, with the creation of a double-story extension. On the ground floor, the extension provided a large area with distinct zones where activities like cooking, eating, reading, or playing could take place without overlapping, unlike before. During this process, we also restored the living room’s role as a formal space, making it separate yet connected through a double set of doors.

The small extension on the first floor breathed new life into the bathroom, adding a walk-in shower, a bathtub, and two sets of basins. The direct connection to the garden was achieved through sliding glass doors, which, along with the ones on the first floor, form a “system of windows”  with matching steel inlay and frame. The large ground-floor windows not only bring in abundant natural light but also provide seamless access to the garden all year round. Just outside, an asymmetrical patio offers a relaxing and gathering space for tea or dinner during the summer season.

Photography: Photo Plan