As is the case with many speculative homes built in the 1980s in the UK, the original layout was dark and cramped and consisted of a series of small individual rooms with limited views and access to the outside. 

The architect’s brief was to create a light-filled, open plan interior that would act as a refuge from the outside world and link the kept garden at the front with the wild, informally planted garden at the rear of the site.

The new layout is organised around an exposed structural grid at ceiling level. A single flitch beam - consisting of a metal plate sandwiched between two timber sections - spans the entire length of the house while shorter beams span perpendicular at regular centres, setting out positions of walls, windows, built in joinery and furniture below. Secretly fixed, ash lined plywood panels fill the spaces between.

An existing garage was incorporated in the overall plan, allowing space for the kitchen and W.C. to be centrally located and flanked either side by the dining area to the front and sitting area overlooking the main garden to the rear.  A sliding partition between the front entrance and dining area enables the circulation leading up to the first floor accommodation to be separated off from the ground floor living spaces - a common building regulations requirement. The whole ground floor layout is one continuous, free-flowing space with individual areas defined by the placement of furniture and external openings which offer a unique view to the outside. 

Large openings have been created in the rear elevation to provide generous access and views out to the garden, while a new side window, complete with built in window seat, has been strategically placed to introduce natural light into the centre of the plan. Rear and side facing windows and doors are constructed in ash to match the ceiling, kitchen and built in storage while white painted walls and an exposed concrete floor make up a complimentary pallet of finished materials.

In addition to the ground floorworks, a large master bedroom and en-suite bathroom, complete with freestanding bath, has been created at first floor level.

Externally, a new rear terrace, constructed entirely in brickwork to match the existing house, acts as a transition space between house and main garden and provides a place for outdoor dining. A fern filled built-in planter at the end of the terrace creates a foreground of architectural planting when viewed from the living area.