Kitchen Extension

97 Greenwich South Street, London SE10

CONTEXT

The proposal is to build an extension for a lower ground floor flat in a large four storey Victorian house and dig out a terrace in the raised back garden. Presently the small existing kitchen has limited views outside and access to the raised garden is via an unattractive steel staircase- space is limited outside the flat. The clients wish to extend their kitchen to provide extra space for home working and more kitchen space and storage, and to have more light and views onto a new dug-out terraced patio with retaining walls for storage.

ACCESS

The access to the patio shall be via the kitchen extension. The patio will have three terraced levels; each 300mm above each other. There is a proposed new staircase at the end of the newly dug-out terrace that leads up to the raised garden. Alternatively, access can be gained to the patio from the upper ground level/first floor via a walkway that leads from the existing first floor terrace to the garden. From the garden access to the patio can be had via the new staircase down to the terraces. The side alley on the lower ground floor is maintained as it is.

DESIGN

The proposed extension is designed in such a way that the existing ground floor rear extension is continued with a flat roof in such a way that the ceiling below is continuous and a horizontal arrangement is created. The extension is splayed (in plan) at the end so as to face the proposed newly dug-out patio. The elevation facing the patio will have three folding glass doors that will allow the clients to open up their kitchen in the summer. These folding glass doors are proportioned, in a way that makes them look like elegant vertical elements set within an overall arrangement that is horizontal in composition. They will be full height. There is also a proposed window seat that faces the side alley and projects enough to allow a 900mm gap between the window seat and the fence. This window seat is also horizontal in proportion to match and line through with the existing coping and French doors. The extension has a glass, flat panelled skylight that is raised from the roof and set in a lead covered up-stand. Along the side of this roof there is a proposed walkway that leads to the garden and has storage below for the patio. There is a solid staircase that leads to the back garden from the patio. The interior of the existing kitchen area will be converted to provide a utility room and broom cupboard.

MATERIALS

The roof of the extension will be lead and the façade white painted render to match the existing ground floor walls. Over the roof where the walkway progresses along the side the structure will be of timber decking. The balustrades throughout will be glass panelled with timber handrails. The folding glass doors shall be of grey aluminium. The window seat shall be comprised of lead clad timber and steel bracket construction. The coping on top of the rendered walls shall be of reconstituted stone and the rainwater pipe shall be of grey pressed metal. The patio shall be of concrete with storage areas below the walkway similarly of concrete. The new staircase leading to the raised garden shall be of concrete as well and house an extra storage space beneath it.