In London, a much-loved garden serves as a focal point for a rear extension of a Victorian mid-terrace house in the Conservation Area of Haringey. Designed by Amos Goldreich Architecture, the project arranges a sequence of living spaces around the garden and internal courtyard that provides a connection to greenery on the tight urban site.
Oak-clad beams spanning the width of the expansive open plan kitchen and dining area create a rhythm that draws the eye towards the garden, which is accessed through sliding glass doors. As a unifying gesture, oak cladding is used to extend seamlessly out to a large bay window that projects over a fish pond, and up into the wells of the frameless skylights that comprise more than half of the roof area.
The warmth of the oak is mirrored in the neutral tones of terrazzo applied to the kitchen island and countertops below, as well as the muted green paintwork of the cabinetry. Ochre floor tiles pull the tone of the oak wood through the space, while the gloss of the white wall tiles allows light to bounce, reflect and illuminate space.
A winter garden below an entirely glazed roof draws light into the heart of the home, allowing the homeowners to be surrounded by their plants year-round. The winter garden concept further serves to connect the new kitchen and dining space with the study and lounge at the front of the house.
Black Crittall-style frames make it possible for the winter garden to be combined or separated in a move that lends flexibility to the use of space, and opens up sightlines to both gardens from the entrance hall, off which a new WC and basement utility room are located.
From its exterior, the extension is expressed as a pair of intersecting points, painted grey like an earlier extension and topped by a plant-covered terrace in a nod to the incremental additions that have occurred over the years. Grey paintwork is also applied to the front elevation to tie the project together.
