WYNDBOURNE CLOSE
The brief for this project was to design a ground floor extension to the rear of an existing large house in the Newnham area of Cambridge. The client brief was to provide a family dining / living space from the existing kitchen, connection to the garden was identified as being a key aspect of the design. The house had been extended previously with exposed reinforced concrete beams and columns obscuring the view into the garden. The house is on split levels and a design to bring these levels together in a unifying design was an absolute requirement.
In order to bring the levels together it was decided early on to take a straight horizontal roof line across the back, this resulted in the lower level having a generous ceiling level with a new set of steps up to the upper level loggia. In order to bring a good level of natural light into the darker parts of the plan a flat roof sliding roof-light is incorporated over the dining table.
In order to keep the roof edge of the horizontal line across the back as slender as possible we used a slim channel along the parapet. The new glazed elements run up to this channel giving the appearance of a slim roof build-up. At the lower level there is a cantilevered corner with corner glazed doors sliding into pockets to either side giving a completely fully open corner. As the house is south facing, a brise soleil covers the top part of the glazing to shade the glass when the sun is at its hottest, but also allowing lower level winter sun to enter deep into the plan.
The palette of materials and colors inside and out tie into the newly landscaped garden resulting in successful inside / outside spaces.
- YEAR: Completed in 2020
- LOCATION: Cambridge
- CONTRACTOR: XX Construction
- PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Shaw
So pleased with the work Spacecraft did for us. They transformed a dark, narrow kitchen and small dining room into a fantastic living space that brings our garden right into the house. It lets so much glorious light into the kitchen, but because of the covered patio we never get the sun shining through during the hottest part of the day so it states cool inside – We are loving it so much.