House in Surrey
Godalming, UK
2024 -
Co-author: N4 Architecture
The project consists of refurbishing and extending a late 1960s house with minimal alterations to the original volume by rearranging the internal spaces and taking advantage of the south-facing rooms within the existing house.
The aim of the proposed ground floor extension is to provide higher-quality living spaces by converting the existing garage into a living area and proposing a new garage in the current porch area. This strategy increases the internal living area without modifying the existing volume. The new extended volume will appear continuous with the existing pitched roof but will be subservient to the overall structure due to its roof materiality. The garage space is designed as an informal and flexible space with a strong connection to the garden, capable of accommodating a wide range of uses that the rest of the house would be unable to.
The roof surfaces of the extension will feature distinct materials that reflect their internal use and optimize the different exposures to solar radiation. A north-facing skylight will introduce natural light to this flexible space, while the south facade will be equipped with solar panels to generate energy for the house, keeping the rest of the existing roofs intact.
A new south-facing porch is designed to enhance the relationship between the interior spaces and the existing garden. It will serve as a buffer space that provides shading in the summer and shelter in the winter. The porch offers an additional semi-exterior room that is flexible enough to accommodate various uses depending on the changing needs of its users.
