OUT OF THE ORDINARY

We were given a brief to create an extraordinary extension design and to retrofit the existing building to lower energy consumption using natural materials. In addition, we were asked to centre the design on an object of special interest, a salvaged spiral stair. Some areas needed reconfiguring, with bathrooms and a second kitchenette/making room forming part of the design. With this exciting scope of works, we set off to design a project worthy of the brief.

We designed the retrofit using internal or external wood fibre or cork insulation, linking this to a highly insulated new extension built from hemp block, flexible hemp, and wood fibre boards. These are clad in UK-grown Brimstone Ash or rendered in lime. Inside, a stone floor, UK-grown ash woodwork, and coloured clay plasters reduce carbon, control moisture, and improve air quality. The design centres on the salvaged spiral stair leading to a mezzanine with views of a sculptural space with a rooftop garden, the living room below, and out to the ground-level garden.