Rear extension in Kingston now completed

Our project in Kingston for a rear extension has now been completed. Find more information and completion photos here…

Our project for a rear extension to a historic house in Kingston has been completed.

The client came to us in 2018 with a request to remove an existing unused conservatory with a solid rear extension that would supply a generous amount of daylight whilst being perfectly useable throughout the year.

The client, a retired couple, also requested Square One Architects to overlook the construction of the extension since they lived half of the year in the United States.

At the beginning of the project we tabled several options that used the same existing footprint as the original conservatory. Following the first few meetings it was decided to carry out a rear extension with a pitched roof that would be in keeping with the character of the existing historic property and the area in general.

The client also decided to use welsh slates for the roof that is a typical material in this type of houses.

Following planning we worked on the building control and tender package obtaining building control approval and several quotes for our clients’ consideration.

At the end of this stage the client chose a contractor that managed to build the project with a limited amount of supervision from our part, given the very detailed instructions included in our drawings that we provided at detailed design and pre-construction stage

The result is a beautiful rear extension that uses traditional materials welsh slates, reclaimed bricks and white windows with a contemporary spin.

Small extension in Hampton

Today we visited a small rear extension in Hampton we recently designed. More pictures to follow!

The project for a rear extension to a 1960’s semi-detached brick house in Hampton has been completed.

The existing property had been extended approximately 20 years ago go with a conservatory that used to be too hot in the summer and too cold in winter, as it often happens in these cases.

The clients’ brief was to remove the conservatory and build a new rear extension to match the existing conservatory in terms of footprint.

The rear extension was built under Permitted Development however its design was very different from the original volume of the old conservatory.

in order to provide the feeling of a more seamless transition between the existing spaces and the new one it was decided to design a flat roof extension that guaranteed a flat ceiling with the same height of the existing one.

This created a visual connection between the existing kitchen space and the new extension that was going to be used as a dining area.

Daylight was very important for our clients and one of the main points in their briefs was that they enjoyed the generous amount of light that they received through their conservatory and although they were ready to loose part of it, they still wanted to have a very bright extension.

The project also included a new side window to provide daylight and views to an existing playroom.

We ran a daylight simulation in order to finalize the position and size of the skylight, windows and French door.

Both us and our client were extremely happy with the result and the build extension confirmed what we had foreseen through our drawings.

“Iacopo is everything you want in an Architect. Talented, thoughtful, precise, punctual and fantastic value for money. He listened carefully to our specification, guided us when we were lacking in knowledge and responded incredibly well when we changed our minds. He took our ground floor extension from a pipe dream to a design in weeks, his skill set enabled the design to go through local planning at the first time of asking. He held ours hands whilst we chose the building company to complete the work. We literally could not be happier with Iacopo - brilliant!”

Rear extension in Wimbledon

We have recently visited one of our projects on site which involves a rear and side extension to a large 1930's house in Wimbledon. The transformation of this home is truly remarkable. The new impressive kitchen/living space is not only bright and spacious, but also beautifully designed to seamlessly blend with the existing structure. The large windows flood the area with natural light, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. As we toured the space, we imagined the homeowner joy when she can enjoy their new surroundings. The open kitchen and living area is great for gathering and entertaining, and the view of the garden adds a peaceful touch. The project's outstanding outcome is a testament to the commitment and collaboration of the entire team. Each member brought their skills and expertise, working together to overcome challenges and deliver great results. The client played a crucial role in driving the project forward with determination and a clear vision. Her effective communication and enthusiasm pushed the team towards success. The synergy between our team and the client's enthusiasm led to a project that exceeded expectations.
Our team of architects have been working hard to turn the client’s vision into reality. Once everything is perfect, we'll share captivating photos of the project. Stay tuned for the big reveal, where you can take a visual journey through this remarkable undertaking that will captivate and inspire you. Stay tuned for more updates!

Rear extension in Twickenham almost completed

We have recently visited one of our projects in Twickenham which includes a rear brick extension to a 1930 house. The extension allowed to have a new bright and spacious Living/Kitchen/Dining open space. More pictures to follow soon!

The client, a family of four with two small children, approached for this project in 2016.

The original property was a typical 1930’s semi-detached house in Twickenham featuring a non-original extension and conservatory at the back. The extension was used as a utility room.
We always stress the importance of making good use of the rear of the property since this is the prime space of the house in terms of views to the rear garden, access to daylight and privacy. Using the rear of the property for a utility room (or in some cases a bathroom) is a missed opportunity to do something special, because a utility area doesn’t need necessarily a window.

The clients’ wish was to create an open plan area at the rear of the property by extending approximately 2.5 meters and replacing the existing conservatory and utility room that where in need of repair and where under used anyway.

The existing kitchen was moved to the new open plan area and part of the existing kitchen was then used as a utility space.

Daylight was ranking high in the clients’ wishes and we carried out our usual detailed analysis in order to foresee the exact amount of natural light intake throughout the year.

The project also featured a large window in correspondence of the kitchen sink, a set of large bi-folding doors and two skylights centered respectively with the window and the doors.

We obtained planning approval for this project in early 2017 and subsequently we sent the drawings to several contractors and requested quotes back.

Shortly after obtaining planning approval we also obtained building control approval and we issued a full set of drawings for construction purposes in May 2017.

This was an example of a project designed in a relatively short amount of time, but with great attention to details. The extension checked all the boxes in the clients’ brief, was delivered within their budget and the agreed time frame and the end result exceeded their expectations.

Rear extension in Twickenham

First image of our new project for the rear extension of a semi-detached single family house in Twickenham!

The rendering above shows our initial proposal for our 2016 project of a rear extension to a terraced house in Twickenham. The property in question was semi-detached and featured a non-original, very narrow and poor-quality built rear extension that used to house the kitchen and did not take advantage of the full width of the plot.

The client’s wish was to form a new open plan kitchen and living area opening towards the rear garden with the kitchen in the middle of the extended house.

The position of the kitchen in relation to rear extension is an important element and it comes down to individual preference. In some cases extensions are wide enough to house both kitchen and dining or living area to the rear like in the case of our house extension in Teddington and many other examples on our project page, however in some cases the existing house is just too narrow and just one between kitchen and dining area can be housed a the rear.

Some families tend to use the kitchen as a very social space, in which case it may make sense to place it towards the rear with the best views of the garden, access to daylight and connection with the patio.

Some others see the kitchen as a less social space and prefer to place a dining area or living space at the rear. This is something worth thinking long and hard before taking a final decision.

In this case the client decided to place the kitchen in the central section of the property. In this configuration it is very important to design the kitchen as a feature and keep it very tidy since you will always move across the kitchen to go from the front of the house to the rear. This is one of the reasons why the client asked us to design the kitchen from scratch in order to ensure that the design quality was consistent throughout the whole ground floor of the property.

We have to give credit to the clients for their commitment to good design. We enjoyed the overall design process and were very pleased with the final result..

You can see the final images of this project here.