Pergola House

Will Gamble Architects extended this Georgian style house in a conservation area.

The brief was to provide a contemporary kitchen, dining and living area within the ground floor and a master bedroom with an en-suite over the first floor. Will Gamble Architects reconfigured part of the existing house to rationalise the previously disjointed arrangement of rooms and provide a more symmetrical floor plan. Owing to the sensitive nature of the property being located in a conservation area the design of the first floor addition (which is visible from the street) draws inspiration from the vernacular of the existing property and the surrounding village scene. It is conceived as an ancillary ‘pavilion type’ structure connected to the main house via a glazed link. Throughout the ground floor, the extension is more contemporary in its appearance and draws inspiration from the garden pergola to establish a connection with the surrounding gardens. A contemporary oak frame was proposed with full height glazing that maximises views of the gardens. The lightweight nature of the ground floor extension juxtaposes the heavy masonry walls of the existing property and helps define old from new. Internally there is a polished concrete floor with a sunken garden room. A formal courtyard garden maximises the amount of light entering the space and forms a set-piece for the new accommodation to be arranged around. The master bedroom is accessed via the glazed link through a double height space. The ceiling to the master bedroom is vaulted with a centralised rooflight