House of Design Architects

Bird House

When our client purchased this house, it was in complete need of renovation. The house had been split into two flats and access from the lower ground floor to the raised ground floor had been severed and needed to be reinstated. Original sash windows had been lost and along with the rusticated banding to the lower ground floor. The house is in a conservation area so care had to be taken to details the windows to match the original glazing configuration.

Internally, carefully placed and detailed glazed screens bring light into the hallway and the stair connecting raised ground to lower ground has been reinstated. This stair access the lower ground kitchen, shower room and third bedroom, along with the lower ground floor entrance and bootroom. New double glazed timber doors give access to the garden and a previous rear door is replaced by a full height glazed panel with sash window detailing.

The roof was in poor condition and required complete re-slating. We took this opportunity to move the insulation line to rafter level which allowed the volume of the roof space to be opened up to the upper floor rooms. Conservation rooflights to the rear roof slope bring light into the hallway and bathroom and allow a clear view of the sky from the bath. As a cost saving measure the original roof joist structure is exposed within the rooms and gives additional texture and colour to the rooms.

The overall result is the transformation of an unloved and gloomy mid Victorian terraced house into a light, bright and airy family home that is full of interesting details that elevate it above the mundane.

New glazed joinery to living room from hallway

Glazed panel from stair down from raised ground floor

Glazed joinery to stairwell

French polished handrail and newel post

New first floor bathroom

Loft space opened up to top floor rooms with new conservation rooflights

New kitchen and glazed screen to stair

Front elevation with new windows, front door and rusticated render to lower ground floor

Example design drawing for living room glazed screen