Home refurbishment

Design ConceptSky House is nestled within a secluded hollow on a hillside in South West England, commanding breathtaking views across the rugged landscape. To the south, the land drops steeply away, leaving the horizon dominated by sky; a constantly shifting canvas of English weather that the design seeks to capture and celebrate. The clients approached KHA wanting to transform a tired 1970s dwelling to better suit modern family life and to create a home environmentally fit for the 21st century. Within its protective new envelope of super-insulated walls and triple-glazed windows, the house now offers exceptional thermal performance while preserving the original structural core.  Dave Watts Photography This deep retrofit transfo... More

Adapting old spaces for new uses while preserving their historical memory and providing new possibilities. AnnaLisa Massaro The intervention focuses on two specific areas of the existing house. On the ground floor, it takes place outside. The goal is to repurpose the garage space for living without sacrificing the covered area. The proposal removes part of the structure to transform it into a pergola, improving the courtyard’s lighting and ventilation. Using the wooden beams recovered from the old roof, a mezzanine is integrated as a painting studio with a new green roof that will also create a garden on the first floor. AnnaLisa Massaro A restored fireplace, originally designed by architect José Antonio Coderch, be... More

In the heart of the Arrábida Natural Park, a region with a characteristically Mediterranean climate, a 4-hectare property of native flora contained a house built in the1990s, sheltered by stone pine trees. In this privileged climate, 30 minutes from downtown Lisbon and 10 minutes from the sheltered sea of Portinho da Arrábida, the owners wanted to create a comfortable space for relaxation, closely connected to the land and the landscape of the park. Frederico Martinho Frederico Martinho The existing building was structurally weak, inefficiently laid out, and lacked spatial clarity, further exacerbated by successive additions. However, the location was fabulous,surrounded by robust native vegetation that created a s... More

A 1970s bungalow within a brilliant garden. Behind the house, a steep level change reveals a basement with garden access, while the ground floor extends out to a patio in the treetops. David Flynn Architects Ltd David Flynn Architects Ltd David Flynn Architects Ltd Despite the lively surroundings, the interior was dark and somewhat detached from the patio and gardens. When we were appointed as architects for this project, we knew we had to create a strong connection to the garden. New large glazed sliders across the rear elevation allow the interior to reach out into the garden as the patio becomes part of the living spaces. A glazed screen, large rooflights, and open plan reconfiguration will result in bright, comfortable s... More

Our clients wanted to improve their existing traditional Victorian terrace house by adding a rear extension, refurbishment and reconfiguration of the traditional plan. The design has delivered a bright home, with distinctive design moments scattered throughout the house, such as the circular skylight and a timber cladded wedge-shaped amenity room that enhances the openness and natural light intake of the interior, revealing an ideal place for our musician client to practice.  Nick Dearden We added a generous single-storey ground floor rear extension, with a roof terrace above, replacing old additions to the house (dating to the 1970's and 1990's). The ground floor plan has the kitchen at the front of the house, a spacious, privat... More

The interior of this Grade 2 Listed house in Spitalfields had still retained many of its original features, including timber wall partitions with panelling, original floorboards, cornicing and architraves. Acknowledging the critical value of this property’s Grade 2 listing and heritage, our design approach throughout is to maintain all period features, treating the introduction of anything new literally as ‘pieces of furniture’ - distinct elements separate from the main architecture and easily removable.  Anna Batchelor Anna Batchelor We proposed the introduction of two kitchen elements in a manner that is minimal similar to a chest of drawers. The design of the free-standing units is such that the design i... More

The existing house was tired, narrow, lacking in natural light and a sense of space. We developed a scheme to bring light down from the large ground floor window in to the previously dark lower ground floor with a large glass sliding door system to connect to the rear garden.   Simone Bossi The lower ground floor has become the principle living space, with a muted tone kitchen. The original chimney breast continues up through the void – giving a sense of height and drama – with views back up to the ground floor spaces.  Simone Bossi At ground floor, the formal living space becomes a mezzanine style space – overlooking the key living areas below.  Simone Bossi Steel balustrades are found at... More