Fortfield Drive
Fortfield Drive and its neighbouring streets were constructed in the late 1930’s on the former grounds of Fortfield House (built in 1785 and demolished in 1934). These semi-detached houses display slightly varying styles along the length of the street. Our client’s house features a covered porch and a small circular window to the stairs landing. The original layout of the house was largely intact when we were appointed, apart from a basic single-storey flat roofed kitchen and garage extension to the rear.
Our client’s brief was to provide new and improved spaces for a growing family. Having developed various options, our final design involved replacing the old extension with a new single-storey, gable-fronted volume with a pitched zinc roof. This element allowed the existing spaces to the rear of the house to be enlarged and reconfigured to accommodate a new kitchen, dining, informal living space and utility room. An office, WC and new bedroom are contained in a two-storey volume, which we created by extruding the main house to the side.
The extension presents itself as an almost monolithic brick wall with three openings. A sense of depth is introduced by folding it inwards below lintel level. However, the window to the dining area is kept flush with the wall to form a window seat. Sliding-folding doors open onto a brick patio. The interior consists of brick, an oiled European oak bench and window linings and a polished concrete floor with underfloor heating. A centrally-placed bespoke kitchen and island create a new gathering point for family life.
