Old Police House

A fantastic turn-of-the-century character home, that as the name suggests was the former village Police Station. Robustly built, and full of charming period details, we were tasked with revitalising this humble property. We employed clever design interventions to make the best use of existing spaces, whilst tackling the larger extension requirements.

Immediately the existing inefficient conservatory had to go! The 'Conservatory killers' strike again. This space was too cold in winter, too hot in summer and as a result, was plunged into a permanently artificially shaded arrangement. The floor area was wasted with an undervalued connection to a beautiful mature garden.

With our clients fully on board with our strong belief in contrasting old and new, we prepared a design that looked to capitalise on natural light, whilst improving existing areas of the house, with the development of an unashamedly modern build. The original client brief asked for a separate lounge but this would have left the existing lounge space landlocked with poor natural light. By extending the space we were able to make a soft connection back to the dining and kitchen space, which whilst not a fully open plan capitalised on the strengths of the original floor layout. 

A single-storey extension to the rear and side, staggered in both depth and height, provided a new kitchen and dining space, bathed in natural light, courtesy of a large roof light and large format glazing on 3 fronts. This in turn affords uninterrupted access and views to a beautifully mature garden. The plan shape of the extension looked to respect neighbours and provide a private breakfast courtyard. 

Material Palette

The use of stainless steel was to create a strong modern framed aesthetic, with an extremely thin overhang that appears subtle yet strong. Timber-clad reveals and soffits add a touch of warmth and intrigue, whilst on the less private elevations to the front of the house and somewhat hidden elevation to the neighbour, brick matching the existing home is used to soften impact and integrate. The smaller extension to the rear required its own identity to not be completely dominated by the larger kitchen and dining space. For this we chose to use stainless steel exclusively, maintaining the material consistent with the light touch offered by the larger space.

We have delivered a superb family-friendly, overtly modern addition to this beautiful character home, giving our clients the space for their family to grow and remain in the village they adore.