Projects
Rear extension and refurbishment of an Edwardian terraced house in South East London.
The client set out to achieve a simple, cost efficient but design-led rear extension and interior fit-out in which to better engage with the rear garden and existing garden room.
Cost effective and hard-wearing 'self-finished' materials were carefully selected from available stock in builders merchants and finishes pared back to a few: oak, glass and concrete to create the feeling of warmth and robustness.
This project was Shortlisted for New London Architecture’s Don’t Move, Improve! 2021 Awards.
Drawing: Draper Studio 2019 - 2020
Built: IC Construction Services
Structural Engineering: TSC Ltd
Photo Credit: Christian Brailey
Peckham House:
A whole house refurbishment including a split-level rear and full width roof extensions to a post-war terraced house in South East London.
Draper Studio’s Peckham House client wanted to pare back the materials to the irreducible minimum in order to avoid complexity and cost in the finishing stage. By making these savings the budget allowed for a unique, super-tall 3.6m high timber sliding door to access their garden. In order to regain a first floor bedroom, the budget needed to stretch for a new staircase whose reconfiguration provided a compliant way of adding a new bedroom + shower suite at extended second floor level.
Planning challenges, finding and dealing with existing issues in the ground, while aspiring to interally insulate throughout a poorly adapted, non compliant 1950’s infill house, to achieve thermal performance beyond building regs, were important challenges to solve. We worked closely with the client to strategise and package up the key components of the build and continued to work alongside the construction team to assist until completion.
The extended ground floor plan splits to create a level change with dual aspect views from front to back. There’s a new WC at ground floor level and separate utility cupboard to help make life more functional. Isn’t that what its about? Lots of small asks packaged into douglas fir, lime plastered walls, polished concrete floors, pigmented oak, micro-cemented bathrooms and raw mild steel stair.
Drawing: Draper Studio 2020 - 2023
Built: IC Construction Services
Structural Engineering: TSC Ltd
Photo Credit: Peter Molloy
Client’s words:
"It's hard to choose a favourite part from the towering kitchen ceiling of exposed Douglas fir beams, to the “in-your-face" raw feel of the mild steel stairs and balustrades, to the (frankly massive) cantilevered rear sliding door. We love it!"
Forest Gate House:
A whole house refurbishment to an end-of-terrace Victorian house in the Woodgrange Conservation Area, East London.
Draper Studio 2019 - 2020
Built: Mitchas Building
Photo Credit: Richard Oxford
Wandsworth House:
A whole house refurbishment over 3 storeys to increase the volume by 26%. The additions include a 12x6m, double storey rear extension, a rear bathroom pod at first floor level suspended above the ground floor extension and a rear dormer roof extension + conversion. All resulting in a fully reconfigured house whilst maintaining the Victorian charm of this detached house in a South West London Conservation Area.
With all the additions held up joinery grade structural oak, the ground floor rear extension wraps around the rear and side to contain formal and informal dining spaces, wine storage, the kitchen, pantry and a WC + utility + boot room. Solid oak framed double glazed sliding doors sail across the full height windows, opening out the kitchen and dining spaces directly to the rear garden for entertaining in warmer months.
Draper Studio’s proposed extension corrected the flaws of the old extensions which had frustrated views of the large private rear garden - precisely where the family wanted to spend most of their time. The Victorian layout - namely entrance hall and flanking reception rooms now have 3 key views from the front of the house, right through towards the rear garden using the extension to frame these views. At first floor, 4 double bedrooms - one master with en-suite and dressing are maintained as the family bathroom sits as a ‘pod’ atop the rear extension roof. The newly converted and extended roof provides a fifth bedroom with adjacent shower/WC for maximum guest / family life flexibility. A newly relocated helical stair has been inserted above the existing staircase. This sits below the rear dormer / lantern through which daylight passes deep into the plan of the house, all the way down into the mid-plan of the ground floor - adding much needed daylight into the darkest area of a double fronted house.
By primarily building out of structural timber, and not steel for the superstructure and forming foundations from specialist screw piles rather than 2.5m deep mass-fill concrete strips has reduced the overall heaviness of the new additions and significantly reduced the amount of carbon-hungry materials in construction.
This unconventional approach paid dividends - it was simpler to agree the party wall awards - no need for the extra deep foundations to worry the neighbours and piling with a capping grid of concrete to stiffen the substructure like a skeleton proved faster to build on site, further reducing the ‘move out time’ - read, construction period.
Off-site manufacturing of the timber frame also improved the move-in time whilst adding precision. After the frame was assembled, the oak was left exposed showing its natural grain and enabling you to experience what the building is made from.
The house is future proofed with a ‘high flow, low temperature’ heating system throughout to be heat pump ready.
The first floor rear addition is made from a lightweight, highly insulated softwood timber stud frame sitting atop the structural oak lattice of the rear extension. The exterior of this pod is clad in London stock brick slips to reduce the weight of the addition (thereby saving money and carbon in complicated materials to support dead weight) and to satisfy the planners.
Drawing by Draper Studio 2020 - 2023
Built: Forma London
Structural Engineering: Simpleworks
Photo Credit: Peter Molloy
Tooting Bec House:
A whole house refurbishment over 3 storeys to a Victorian terraced house in South West London.
The additions include a rare front extension to mirror the double storey gabled bay and a stepped double storey rear extension with roof terrace.
In order to reduce the heat gain from the south in summer, articulating timber shutters offer shade and reduce the need for whole house cooling systems.
Planning Permission granted in 2022.
Draper Studio 2019 - 2024
CGI: Alex Mokhov
Hackney House:
A single storey rear extension to a Victorian terraced house in East London.
On site 2023.
Draper Studio 2021 - 2024
Built: T.Mirz Construction
CGI: Place Visuals
