Our clients had fallen in love with this unusual ‘cottage in the city’ and the potential that it offered, but were frustrated by its cramped and awkward layout, and the lack of natural light. With a strong emphasis placed on both sustainability and craftsmanship, the reconfiguration of this compact and charming property reflects our clients’ love of art and gardening through a series of interventions which acknowledge the property’s history and the current requirements of its occupants, while also planning for a more environmentally sustainable future.

Rather than extending into the property’s mature rear garden, our proposals focused on making the most of the existing footprint, while on the upper floor a new dormer to the rear roof pitch rationalises the existing principal bedroom, with a new bathroom tucked neatly into its modest proportions. Carefully-crafted oak storage pieces were designed to fit within awkward angles created by the pitched roof and below the new picture window to the bedroom, maximising every inch of space.

Externally a perforated metal screen provides privacy to the new first floor bathroom. This feature was designed as a contemporary response to the variety of historical architectural cast ironwork in the area, in which standardised elements were repeated and combined to form intricate patterns and bespoke artforms. Motifs found in a cast iron trellis in the garden of the property have been adapted to create an abstract pattern which has been laser cut into steel panels, providing depth and interest to the rear façade, while the late afternoon sun through the bathroom window casts its filigree shadow across the internal walls.

A continuation of the tradition of decorative architectural metalwork, reframed for today.

Strategic internal remodelling of the previously dark and constricted ground floor layout has created a sequence of bright, open and practical spaces, which connect to each other as well as to the outdoors. The new-found spaciousness of the reconfigured property is evident from the moment you step inside the front door, with a new opening to the central hallway now allowing tantalising glimpses of the south-facing wildflower garden.

In addition to a diverse range of native plants, the garden is now home to an air source heat pump, with new underfloor heating assisting with maximising the available internal space. Thermal upgrades were carried out to the existing fabric, including breathable hemp insulation between the rafters, and glazing upgrades to the traditional sash and case windows to the north.